Air quality - What pollutes our air today?
There are a number of substances that can affect air quality:
Particulate Matter - tiny particles in the air that you can't see:
- smoke from wood and coal fires at home (38%)
- non-domestic burning (16%)
- dust from brakes and tyres (12%)
- manufacturing industries (13%).
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) - These are a group of gases mainly created by burning fossil fuels. They can react with other gases in our air and create new gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Ozone (O3). Nitrogen oxides come from:
- road transport (35%)
- other transport - such as rail and shipping (17%)
- energy generation (22%)
- industrial combustion (19%).
Ammonia (NH3) -This is a gas that is released from:
- rotting waste (4%)
- agricultural slurry, manure and fertiliser (88%).
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) -This is an acidic gas that when it combines with water vapour in the air will cause acid rain. It is released from:
- energy generation (37%)
- industrial burning (22%)
- domestic burning (22%).