UK Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide Network

Data Reporting and Use

The UK Smoke and SO₂ Monitoring Network and its predecessor the National Survey provide one of the longest running database of air quality measurements in the UK. The results have shown clearly the dramatic decrease in the concentrations of these pollutants in the UK over the last 36 years. With the exception of the UK Nitrogen Dioxide Diffusion Tube Survey, the Smoke and SO₂ Monitoring Network still constitutes the most widespread air quality monitoring programme in the UK.

3.1        STATUTORY REPORTING: EC DIRECTIVE
The UK Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide Network fulfils the statutory monitoring requirements of the EC Directive on Sulphur Dioxide and Suspended Particulates¹. In June and July each year, the previous pollution year's data are analysed with respect to the requirements of the Directives. The results are supplied to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for formal submission to the European Commission. The results of this analysis for 1997 - 98 are discussed in Section 5.

3.2        EC EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION
Under the terms of the EC Exchange of Information Decision⁵, the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has agreed to supply to the Commission, full daily data for all sites in the Network, from 1997 onwards. The data are supplied to the European Topic Centre on Air Quality, for inclusion in their "AIRBASE" database, at http://www.etcaq.rivm.nl/airbase/index.html.

3.3        PUBLIC DISSEMINATION
This report provides the main route for public dissemination of data from the network. However, data are also summarised in the Digest of Environmental Statistics, published annually by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions⁶. Also, a large number of ad hoc requests for data are serviced by retrievals from the database held at AEA Technology's National Environmental Technology Centre (NETCEN). These are normally provided free of charge.

A comprehensive archive of air quality measurements, including smoke and SO₂ data, has been prepared on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. This is available via the World Wide Web, at web site :
http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/airq/aqinfo.htm
Site information and summary data from 1963 onwards for the Smoke and SO₂ Network are available on the web site, with full daily data from 1990 onwards. These daily data are updated every three months; the annual statistics are updated yearly.