Further Assessment of Air Quality
Islington Council has been undertaking a phased review and assessment of air quality in the borough in accordance with the requirements of the National Air Quality Strategy and the Environment Act 1995.  In August 2000, Islington published its 3rd Stage review of air quality, showing that levels of two pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulates (PM₁₀), were likely to exceed their respective objectives in the National Air Quality Strategy.  In January 2001, Islington declared an Air Quality Management Area to define the part of the borough where the pollution objectives were likely to be exceeded.
The Council has recently published its Further Assessment of Air Quality which represents the next phase in the review and assessment process.  The main purpose of the further assessment of air quality is to allow the Council to supplement the information that was gathered in earlier reviews and assessments, and also to provide the technical justification for the measures included in the Council's upcoming Air Quality Action Plan.  A summary of the main points of the further assessment are given below.
Air quality monitoring results over recent years show that the annual mean objective for particulates is currently being met in Islington.  However, the daily mean objective for particulates has been exceeded for the past two years.  The annual average objective for nitrogen dioxide is being exceeded consistently in Islington.  The hourly objective is being met.  The results of the monitoring also show that concentrations of carbon monoxide at the Holloway Road site consistently meet the National Air Quality Strategy objective.
The ADMS-Urban air pollution model has been used to predict future pollution concentration levels across the borough.  Input to the model comes from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, background pollution concentrations from outside London and meteorological data from Heathrow airport.  The accuracy of the computer model was validated against actual measured concentrations of pollutants in Central London.  The model predicts that the National Air Quality Strategy objective for annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide will be exceeded over the whole of Islington.  The hourly average objective for nitrogen dioxide and the daily mean objective for particulates is predicted to be exceeded along the busiest roads and at the busiest road junctions in Islington.
The sources of the air pollution levels in Islington were investigated to inform Islington's Air Quality Action Plan.  An overwhelming proportion of the particulate pollution and a large proportion of the nitrogen dioxide pollution come from sources outside the borough.  Of the sources within Islington and London as a whole, the largest contributor to air pollution concentrations in the borough is road traffic.  A significant amount of nitrogen dioxide pollution also results from the use of gas central heating systems in buildings.
Islington has revoked the Air Quality Management Area Order of January 2001 and issued a new order on the 29th of April 2003 to declare the whole of the borough as an Air Quality Management Area.  The new Air Quality Management Area will reflect the current predicted extent of exceedence of the annual average objective for nitrogen dioxide.
Copies of the full report are available on the air quality pages of the Council's website.  A limited number of paper copies are also available from the Public Protection Division - please see contact details below.