Maps of Air Quality Across Scotland

An annual mapping exercise is undertaken on behalf of the Scottish Government to provide a comparison of the results of a national air quality modelling method with results from Scottish air quality monitoring data, and to examine possible improvements to the model in representing Scottish concentrations.

Examples of the latest national output maps (1 x 1 km background maps) are presented below. These background maps should continue to be used for Review and Assessment purposes in Scotland, and the results can be downloaded through the links in the LAQM Tools section of this web site.

Examples of Scottish Air Quality Maps from the 2007 Scottish Mapping Study (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 Background)

An important aspect of the work is to attempt to improve the model results by tailoring model components to Scotland. This involves remodelling of several pollutants (deemed appropriate for improvement for Scotland) and an assessment of these results to examine the degree to which the model represents the monitoring data. In 2007 re-modelling was carried out for two pollutants - PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 by incorporating 2 significant changes:

• The dispersion kernel applied to area source emissions was derived using Scottish met data obtained for RAF Leuchars near Edinburgh.
• Gravimetric data from Scottish monitoring sites only were used in the model calibration.

The annual mapping exercise is ongoing and will become more accurate in future years as further data (especially background PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), are added to the database. Guidance will be provided on how to incorporate the results of the improved Scottish maps into the Review and Assessment Process.