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Air quality expert group - Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in ... - Defra

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Concentrations and composition of <strong>PM2.5</strong><br />

56. Longer term trends <strong>in</strong> black carbon concentrations can be gauged by comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

the recent aethalometer data with results from the earlier Black Smoke<br />

Network. The black smoke data can be converted to black carbon equivalents at<br />

least as an approximation, even though there are significant differences <strong>in</strong> the<br />

measurement methods, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g black smoke not be<strong>in</strong>g selectively sampled<br />

as the <strong>PM2.5</strong> fraction (Qu<strong>in</strong>cey et al., 2011). Black carbon concentrations and<br />

trends derived <strong>in</strong> this way are shown <strong>in</strong> Figure 3.22.<br />

µg.m -3<br />

7<br />

6<br />

5<br />

4<br />

3<br />

2<br />

1<br />

0<br />

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005<br />

BATH 6<br />

HALESOWEN / Dudley<br />

SOUTH KIRKBY<br />

Black Smoke Method<br />

Time<br />

CARDIFF 12<br />

HALIFAX 17<br />

STRABANE 2<br />

Aethalometer<br />

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010<br />

DUNMURRY 3<br />

NORWICH<br />

WOOLWICH 9<br />

Figure 3.22: Trends <strong>in</strong> black carbon and converted black smoke concentrations<br />

2000 to 2010.<br />

57. Black smoke concentrations at Strabane 2 were <strong>in</strong>itially much higher than at<br />

the other urban sites, but decl<strong>in</strong>ed steadily until 2006, when they became<br />

comparable to those at the other sites. Oil-fired central heat<strong>in</strong>g was <strong>in</strong>troduced<br />

<strong>in</strong> 2004 <strong>in</strong>to the estate of houses that surrounds the monitor<strong>in</strong>g site on three<br />

sides generally replac<strong>in</strong>g coal burn<strong>in</strong>g, and this will have contributed to the<br />

decl<strong>in</strong>e. Apart from Strabane 2 there are no significant trends at the other urban<br />

sites across the UK.<br />

75

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