On behalf of the Scottish Government, and as part of the Scottish Air Quality Database (SAQD) project, Ricardo provide mapped concentrations of pollutants for Scotland. The most recent maps are for the year 2021 and provide representation of the spatial distribution of background and roadside annual mean concentrations of:
- gravimetric equivalent PM10 concentration (PM10)
- gravimetric equivalent PM2.5 concentration (PM2.5)
- NOx and NO2
Background concentrations are mapped at a spatial resolution of 1 km2 (1 km x 1 km grid) and roadside concentrations are mapped for urban major road links throughout Scotland.
The methodology for the Scottish modelling is based on the UK Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) approach. The modelling used to produce the Scottish pollutant concentration maps incorporates exclusively Scottish pollutant measurement data, meteorological data from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and spatially disaggregated emissions information from the UK's National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI).
The monitoring data used in the mapping work includes PM10 and PM2.5 monitoring data (FIDAS and Beta Attenuation Monitors (BAM)) and automatic monitoring data for NOx and NO2.
The latest modelling results and maps of the modelled air pollutant concentrations for 2021 are provided in the most recent technical report. This report has been published as a webpage and includes interactive elements (e.g. some tables and all maps) to enhance the presentation of the report content.
Projected background annual mean maps of NOx, NO2 and PM10 for the years 2018 to 2030 are available for download (see the Data for Local Authority Review and Assessment purposes page). These were produced using the Scottish-specific model using Scottish monitoring and meteorological data from RAF Leuchars.
Please note: The available projections from 2018 are based on assumptions that were applicable prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and as such, do not reflect short- or long-term impacts of the pandemic and associated lockdowns on emissions in 2020 and beyond.