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Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards

Issued jointly by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Executive, The National Assembly for Wales, and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland

Latest information

Contents:

Background
Membership of EPAQS (including details of five newly appointed members (News Release of 6 May 2003) and newly appointed Chair, Professor Stephen Holgate (News Release of 12 February 2003)
Code of Practice for members of the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS)
Terms of Reference
Work Programme
Contact Addresses
Agenda, Minutes and Future Meetings
PM 2.5 in the West Midlands
Final Reports
Annual Report
Register of Interests
Press Notices
Links to Other Sites

Background

The Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards was set up in 1991 to provide independent advice on air quality issues, in particular the levels of pollution at which no or minimal health effects are likely to occur. Members of the Panel are primarily drawn from those eminent in the fields of health research, practice and teaching. The Panel's recommendations were adopted as the benchmark standards in the National Air Quality Strategy.

EPAQS give advice on non-occupational ambient air quality standards, with particular reference to the levels of airborne pollutants at which no or minimal effects on human health are likely to occur, taking account of the best available evidence. This is done without reference to the practicality of abatement or mitigation measures, the economic costs and economic benefits of pollution control measures or other factors pertinent to the management rather than the assessment of risk. The Panel also identifies gaps in the knowledge needed for standard setting and suggests potential priority areas for future research; for the purpose of informing the development of policy on the improvement of air quality and increasing public knowledge and understanding of air quality issues. EPAQS do not give approval for products or equipment.

Terms of Reference

The revised terms of reference for the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards are:

"To advise the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales and Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) as required, on non-occupational ambient air quality standards, with particular reference to the levels of airborne pollutants at which no or minimal effects on human health are likely to occur;

i. taking account of the best available evidence

  • of the effects of air pollution on human health and
  • of progressive development of the air quality monitoring network; but

ii. without reference to the practicality of abatement or mitigation measures, the economic costs and economic benefits of pollution control measures or other factors pertinent to the management rather than the assessment of risk;

Where appropriate, for example for pollutants where no threshold for adverse effects can be determined, the Panel may wish to recommend exposure-response relationships or other information Government might use to set policy objectives.

to identify gaps in the knowledge needed for standard setting and suggest potential priority areas for future research;

to advise on other aspects of air quality and air pollution referred to it;

for the purpose of informing the development of policy on the improvement of air quality and increasing public knowledge and understanding of air quality issues."

Work Programme

The Panel will

  1. Form a view on the generic approach to setting Environmental Action Limits for the Environment Agency; and
  2. Consider a list of substances considered a priority by the Environmental Agency.

Contact Addresses

EPAQS Secretariat
Defra
4/E14, Ashdown House
123 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6DE
Tel: ++44 (0)20 7082 8421
Fax: ++44 (0)20 7082 8385
E-mail: air.quality@defra.gsi.gov.uk

 

All correspondence for EPAQS should be sent through the Secretariat. Members cannot guarantee a reply on EPAQS business to any communication sent directly to them.

PM 2.5 in the West Midlands

These reports were commissioned by the Department of Health to inform the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards in its consideration of a standard for PM2.5. The first report aimed to investigate whether PM2.5 was associated with daily emergency hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory diagnoses, and to compare its effects. The second report aimed to investigate its association with daily mortality and daily hospital admissions, and concerned the analyses of daily mortality. The reports are available (in Adobe Acrobat format) as follows:

  • PM 2.5 and Daily Hospital Admissions in the West Midlands Conurbation
  • PM 2.5 and Daily Mortality in the West Midlands Conurbation

Final Reports

The Second 1,3-Butadiene report can be obtained from Defra Publications, Admail 6000, London, SW1A 2XX, Tel: 08459 556000, Fax: 020 8957 5012, Email: defra@iforcegroup.com

The earlier documents can be obtained fromThe Stationery Office, National Publishing, PO Box 276, London, SW8 5DT: Telephone orders: 0171 873 9090, General enquiries: 0171 873 0011, E-mail: book.enquiries@theso.co.uk

Annual Reports

The Report of the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards - 1991-2000

Press Notices

Press Notices will be published here when available.

Links to other sites

Further information is available on our Help page about downloading or reading Adobe Acrobat PDF documents.
Page last modified 14 October 2003
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