Particulate Matter (PM10)
Particulate matter in the atmosphere can be from a whole range
of sources, both natural, such as sand or sea spray, and man made,
such as construction dust or soot. The smaller a particle, the
longer it can remain suspended in the atmosphere. Very fine
particles made up of carbon from combustion and chemical compounds
(sulphates and nitrates) can remain in the atmosphere for weeks.
Particulate matter is also usually the pollution that you get to
see, as it is often visible as 'dark dust' when it collects on
surfaces.
The amount of particulate matter in the air has decreased rapidly
over the last 30 years. This is due to a decrease in coal burning,
heavy industry and improved industrial pollution control
measures.
Attention is currently focused on finer particles known as PM10.
These fine particles can be breathed more deeply into the lungs and
are more likely to have a toxic effect than larger particles. Even
smaller particulate's known as PM2.5 are also being studied,
however these are not measured in many locations in the UK. This
however, may change in the next couple of years.
As particulate matter is composed of such a large range of
chemicals and materials from a variety of sources, the control of
pollution levels is very difficult.
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