Methods for the assessment of human health impacts from air pollution based on monitoring data, atmospheric dispersion model results and contextual data in Scotland

High ambient concentrations of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx) or ground-level ozone, occur in densely populated areas and thus have the potential for serious adverse human health effects. While statutory requirements for air quality monitoring due to national or European legislation defines the need for the operation of monitoring stations in particular in the densely populated urban areas, the spatial distribution of those sites is often not sufficient to adequately assess exposure to air pollutants for the whole population. The assessment of exposure to one or several air pollutants in an integrated manner has been described in Reis et al. (2005) for the European scale, however, the availability of high resolution data for Scotland allows for a more detailed assessment, in particular with regard to the socio-economic context. Atmospheric chemistry transport models (in short ACTMs) are useful tools to determine air quality across a wide range of spatial scales, from regional to local, with the availability of highly resolved (spatially as well as temporally) datasets to drive these models being a prerequisite. In this paper we discuss approaches for the integration of different datasets, such as stationary air quality monitoring data with ACTM model results (using the EMEP4UK model, Vieno et al., 2010), to estimate exposure of the Scottish population to ambient air pollutant concentrations. In addition, contextual information (e.g. a spatial representation of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, SIMD) and the latest land use data from the recently released CEH Land Cover Map 2007 allow us to derive enhanced, integrated data products for the quantitative assessment of human health effects. Finally, the paper discusses how the conceptual framework of a full-chain approach may be compromised by data availability and how impact assessments for human health and ecosystem health may be better integrated to improve the evidence base for policy action.