Glossary

This glossary provides definitions of common terms used in the context of air pollution.

You can navigate quickly to a term using the alphabetic links below; clicking on the terms will show their definition.

Glossary 

• 0-9
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• V
• Z

0-9

• 1,3-Butadiene (C₄H₆)

A

• Acid Deposition
• Acid Rain
• Air Pollution Bandings
• Air Pollution Bulletins
  Air Pollution Bulletins are issued daily for each zone of the UK. The bulletins show current and forecast air quality for the next 24 hours. The forecast air quality is categorised using four Air Pollution Bandings and also using a numerical Air Pollution Index.
• Air Pollution Index
• Air Pollution Information Service
• Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)
• Air Quality Objectives
• Air Quality Standards
• Air Quality Strategy
• Ambient Air
• Annual Mean
• Automatic Monitoring

B

• BAM (Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor)
• Benzene (C₆H₆)
• Black Smoke

C

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• COMEAP

D

• Data Capture
• Days with Exceedences
• Deposition
• Diffusion Tube Samplers
• Dispersion model

E

• EMEP (Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-Range Transmission ofAir pollutants in Europe)
• Emission Factor
• Emission Inventories
• EPAQS
• EU Directives
• Exceedence

F

• FDMS

G

• Global Warming
• Gravimetric Equivalent PM₁₀ Data
• Greenhouse Gases

H

• Hydrocarbons

L

• Local Air Quality Action Plan
• Local Air Quality Management (LAQM)

M

• Maximum hourly average
• Microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³)

N

• National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI).
• National Statistics

O

• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO_X)
• Ozone (O₃)

P

• PAHs
• Particulate matter (PM)
• Parts per billion, ppb
• Parts per million, ppm
• Percentile
• POPs

R

• Running mean

S

• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂)

T

• TEOM
• TOMPS
• Trajectory Model

V

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Z

• Zones and Agglomerations