The Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Background monitoring

20.—(1) The Department shall install and operate background sampling points to provide the measurements referred to in paragraph (2).

(2) The measurements are indicative measurements of—

(a) concentrations of—

(i) Group B pollutants;

(ii) basic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; and

(iii) total gaseous mercury;

and

(b) total deposition of—

(i) Group B pollutants, within the PM₁₀ fraction;

(ii) basic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; and

(iii) mercury.

(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), the Department shall ensure that—

(a) at least one sampling point is installed for every 100,000 km²; and

(b) each sampling point is located in accordance with those Parts of Schedule 6 relevant to Group B pollutants.

(4) Regulation 16(2) and (3) shall apply to the taking of the measurements referred to in paragraph (2) as if the taking of these measurements were an assessment under Chapter 4 of Part 2.

(5) The Department may—

(a) in addition to the indicative measurements referred to in paragraph (2), take further indicative measurements relating specifically to particulate and gaseous divalent mercury from the sampling points installed by paragraph (1); and

(b) coordinate any measurements taken under this regulation with the European Monitoring and Evaluation of Pollutants monitoring strategy and measurement programme.

(6) For the purpose of paragraph (2)(a)(iii), “total gaseous mercury” means—

(i) elemental mercury vapour (Hg⁰); and

(ii) reactive gaseous mercury.