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Introduction

1. The Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) was set up by the Department of the Environment 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. The intention was that the Panel should recommend standards based solely on the effects of air pollution, without consideration of other factors, such as the costs and benefits of measures to meet those standards, or the feasibility of doing so. It was recognised that such factors would have to be taken into account in the development of policy, legislation and regulation and these aspects are taken into account through the Government's Air Quality Strategy.

2. The Panel's current Terms of Reference replaced the original terms of reference (Annex 1) to make it clear that the role of the Panel in the recommendation of air quality standards would be without consideration of factors pertinent to the management of air pollution. EPAQS would only make recommendations of standards with respect to human health.

"To advise, as required, on non-occupational 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 of the general population 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;

to advise on other aspects of air quality and air pollution referred to it by the Secretaries of State

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.

 

Early decisions

3. In its formative stages, the Panel made a number of decisions that shaped its conduct over the following five years. From the outset, it decided that its reports should be short and understandable by the 'intelligent lay person', in order to maximise their impact and usefulness to Government. In such a format, EPAQS reports could, in addition to making recommendations to Government for air quality standards, help make the topic of air quality available to a wider audience than the specialists working in the field. This was an important function of the reports, given the perceived need to develop public policy on air quality.

Policy context - National

4. The principal development in national air quality policy since the inception of EPAQS was the Environment Act 1995, Part IV. This introduced a new framework for air quality policy, and in particular gave added prominence to the concept of air quality standards, by:

i) requiring the Government to produce a National Air Quality Strategy, to include air quality standards and objectives, and measures to be taken to meet the objectives.

ii) establishing a system of local air quality management, in which local authorities must review their air quality and assess it against any air quality standards or objectives that Parliament sets in regulations.

iii) amending the Environmental Protection Act 1990 so that Integrated Pollution Control authorisations should contain appropriate conditions for achieving compliance with any air quality standards or objectives laid in regulation under the 1995 Act.

5. The National Air Quality Strategy was published in March 1997 by the previous administration. It made a key distinction between air quality standards and air quality objectives. It used the concept of standards primarily as benchmarks to be set purely with regard to scientific and medical evidence on the effects of the particular pollutant on health, or in the appropriate context, on the wider environment. Standards were to be set within the realm of risk assessment, as levels at which risks are thought to be very small indeed or zero. Where they existed, the recommendations made by EPAQS were incorporated as the air quality standards in the National Air Quality Strategy. Otherwise, WHO guidelines were used.

6. The Strategy defined objectives as providing '...policy targets by outlining what the Government intends should be achieved in the light of the air quality standards.' The Strategy also stated that 'air quality policy should be directed towards getting air quality as close to the benchmark standards proposed here as is reasonable and justifiable on consideration of the costs and benefits, where those standards are not already being met'

7. The objectives are therefore the drivers of policy and action to improve air quality, and should be set taking into account not only the risk assessment, but other factors relevant to risk management, such as the evidence available on the feasibility of meeting certain levels of air quality and the costs and benefits of doing so. The Strategy's objectives were derived from the health standards as recommended by EPAQS and WHO, and have been used in the operation of the system of local air quality management and of IPC authorisations under Environmental Protection Act 1990. Seven air quality objectives were laid in regulation, and the duties on local authorities commenced, in December 1997. The Strategy and the standards and objectives were reviewed and proposals for amendments were published in January 1999. The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was published in January 2000 (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/), with the Air Quality (England) Regulations coming into force on 6th April 2000
(www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airq/airqual/ ).

Policy context - International

8. There is a parallel process for setting air quality objectives within the European Union. Council Directive 96/62/EC on Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management, established a framework under which the EU will set limit or target values for specified pollutants in subsequent "daughter" directives. As a starting point for determining a limit or target value, the Commission establish a working group composed of experts from a number of Member States, with representatives of environmental organisations, health groups and industry. The role of the working group is to review all existing information on the given pollutant, which would include any World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline and EPAQS recommendation for a standard, and recommend an appropriate level for a limit or target value. The Commission then use this as the basis of their proposed target or limit value, taking account of economic efficiency, practicability, technical feasibility and timescales. The European process is therefore similar to the objective setting process in the UK.

9. EPAQS' work has been influential in setting the limit values for particles, for which there is no WHO guideline. The working group considering PAHs, again in the absence of a WHO guideline, has also drawn on EPAQS' work in considering the health effects of PAHs.

10. The Framework Directive identifies twelve pollutants for which limit or target values will be set through daughter directives. The first of these, on nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particles and lead, was adopted in April 1999 (1999/30/EC) and came into force in July 1999. That for benzene and carbon monoxide has been adopted and will come into effect shortly. The third directive setting target values for ozone, is currently being considered by Council and the European Parliament. Directives on arsenic, nickel, cadmium and mercury; and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are in preparation by the European Commission.

11. Member States are required to meet EU limit values. However, Member States may set more stringent national objectives. The national objectives in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland include both those based on EU limit values and more stringent national objectives, based on EPAQS' recommended standards.

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Published 16 January 2001

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Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards Index

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