Executive SummaryThe Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) Standards AdvisorySubgroup was asked by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) toreview the UK air quality index (AQI) to ensure that it is fit for purpose. The current UK airquality index has now been in operation essentially unchanged for a period of around 12 years.Therefore, it is timely to review the index to determine its suitability, given the developments inthe field of air quality.The air quality index is used to communicate information about real-time and forecast levels ofoutdoor air pollution in the short term. Forecasted air quality information is reported in termsof the air quality index and provides advanced warning of potentially health-damaging airpollution events. With advanced warning of poor air quality, individuals who are sensitive tothe effects of air pollution can have the opportunity to modify their behaviour to reduce theseverity of their symptoms. The air quality index does not provide guidance on the effects oflong-term exposure to air pollution.The pollutants included in the current index are particulate matter (PM10), ozone (O3), sulphurdioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The index has four bandsindicating ‘Low’, ‘Moderate’, ‘High’ and ‘Very High’ levels of air pollution. These bands arefurther divided into a ten-point scale to provide greater gradation of air pollution levels.The current air quality index was developed by COMEAP and is based on health evidence. The‘Low’ bands indicate air pollution levels where it is unlikely that anyone will suffer any adverseeffects of short-term exposure, including people with lung or heart conditions who may be moresusceptible to the effects of air pollution. The ‘Moderate’ band represents levels of air pollutantsat which there are likely to be small effects for susceptible people only. Values for the ‘High’bands are associated with significant effects in susceptible people. At ‘Very High’ levels of airpollution even healthy individuals may experience adverse effects of short-term exposure.
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