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Air quality measurements in the Netherlands 2017

RIVM Annual report

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Authors
Affiliation

Pleuni Bongers

National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)

Dennis Mooibroek

Published

December 19, 2025

1 Air quality monitoring network in the Netherlands

Air quality in the Netherlands is monitored by the National Air Quality Monitoring Network (LML), which is administered by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in collaboration with its regional partners. The resulting data provide a detailed picture of air quality and the concentrations of the various pollutants at the monitoring stations.

This annual report gives an overview of the key measurement values for specific pollutants in 2017 from measurements by RIVM and two of its regional partners DCMR Environmental Protection Agency (DCMR) and The Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam). Measurements are carried out under EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation by RIVM under L224 in collaboration with its regional partners DCMR (L520) and GGD Amsterdam (L426) who are accredited according to the same ISO standard. Analysis of heavy metals is outsourced to an external analytical laboratory that is accredited according to EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 under L026. See Appendix A for an overview of all the accreditation certificate numbers for the measurements in this report. Appendix A also includes an overview of ambient air quality limit values. Besides the current limit values from the 2008/50/EC and 2004/107/EC directives, this report will take into account the revised EU directive (2024/2881) on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe and, in some occasions, the Air Quality Guideline (AQG) levels from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported in 2021.

The air quality monitoring sites have specific encoding for EU reporting, where all sites in the Netherlands start with NL, followed by 10 for RIVM sites (L224), 01 for DCMR measurement sites (L520) and 49 for sites from GGD Amsterdam (L426). The remaining 3 numbers denote the unique monitoring site. When hovering over the site codes in this report’s tables, the Dutch site name and location along with the responsible monitoring network will show up. For more information on the monitoring sites (including coordinates), monitoring instruments, and sampling practices, please consult the metadata on the LML data catalog on the public RIVM website. For additional information including measurement uncertainties, see the accompanying README.

2 Key concentration values per component

The upcoming tables contain the key statistics per component for 2017, where mean is the yearly averaged concentration - based on either hourly or daily (24-h) values, P50 and P98 denote the 50th and 98th percentile, max is the maximum measured concentration value, n is the number of valid data points in hours or days, % is the percentage of valid data, max.roll.24 denotes the maximum value of the rolling 24-h mean and max.roll.8 of the 8-h mean. All of these values are in µg/m³ unless otherwise specified and with the exception of values for lead, arsenic, cadmium, nickel and benzo(a)pyrene, which are in ng/m3. Columns that are colored in red indicate an exceedance of the EU limit values from 2008/50/EC or 2004/107/EC, orange represents an exceedance of the revised EU limit values from EU Directive 2024/2881. For several pollutants, additional columns have been added relating to component-specific target values. The summary tables where the annual means have been grouped by site type, only contain yearly averages where data capture meets EU requirements.

Most numbers in this report have been rounded to one decimal place and where deemed logical, to 0 or 2 decimal places. However, for testing against the limit values, the rounding practices of the limit values in the relevant EU Directives have been taken into account, of which most are a whole number. Key statistics rounded to more decimal places than in this report are available on the RIVM public data catalog for air quality measurements, as well as the underlying hourly and daily data.

For some pollutants, relevant statistics are also plotted on an interactive map to provide a quick overview of the concentration distribution throughout the Netherlands and compliance with limit values, and to view specific stations more easily. Every dot represents an individual station and clicking on it will bring up a pop-up with the site code and name, the responsible network, the site type, the component, and the relevant value for that component. Please note that the colors do not necessarily match the colors in the tables of the key statistics. Instead, where possible, the same color categories have been used as the European Environment Agency (EEA) applies in their maps for easier comparison with European data. Only stations with at least 85% of valid data have been included in the maps.

2.1 Nitrogen dioxide

Key statistics for NO2 in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % exc_2002 max.roll.24 max.roll.8
Rural Background

NL10107

 17.0 14.1 47.0 86.5 14.1 8449 96.4 0 57.2 71.2

NL10131

 18.5 15.5 50.2 84.2 15.5 8363 95.5 0 59.2 72.1

NL10133

 14.2 11.5 43.4 66.0 11.5 8546 97.6 0 48.3 57.9

NL10230

 21.1 16.4 65.1 306.0 16.4 8650 98.7 5 79.4 135.0

NL10235

 17.9 15.3 47.8 88.4 15.3 8591 98.1 0 52.6 68.0

NL10246

 18.4 14.9 53.4 85.1 14.9 8422 96.1 0 61.0 66.2

NL10301

 14.8 10.6 52.5 74.1 10.6 8571 97.8 0 56.9 66.7

NL10318

 15.3 11.1 50.4 92.9 11.1 8568 97.8 0 59.7 65.0

NL10437

 18.6 14.9 54.9 80.4 14.9 8546 97.6 0 55.6 70.4

NL10444

 14.3 10.1 51.5 82.7 10.1 8682 99.1 0 60.0 70.3

NL10538

 12.2 7.8 47.6 89.0 7.8 8530 97.4 0 56.6 66.7

NL10617

 13.3 10.2 43.8 67.0 10.2 8614 98.3 0 49.6 55.6

NL10633

 16.0 12.3 47.3 79.2 12.3 8388 95.8 0 53.4 62.1

NL10644

 17.4 13.8 50.0 72.1 13.8 8529 97.4 0 54.8 66.6

NL10722

 13.1 10.9 39.4 68.2 10.9 7586 86.6 0 54.1 64.3

NL10738

 15.2 12.4 44.0 84.2 12.4 8704 99.4 0 49.6 61.5

NL10807

 12.2 9.6 39.4 70.1 9.6 7836 89.5 0 49.5 60.3

NL10818

 11.1 8.1 38.8 64.0 8.1 8606 98.2 0 49.0 57.0

NL10918

 9.7 6.8 40.1 64.4 6.8 8558 97.7 0 46.9 57.4

NL10929

 10.5 8.0 35.1 64.7 8.0 8611 98.3 0 56.8 59.4

NL10934

 8.3 5.9 32.6 53.0 5.9 8235 94.0 0 40.7 48.0

NL49703

 19.8 14.8 60.5 123.2 14.8 8637 98.6 0 66.5 82.8
Urban Background

NL01485

 26.9 23.1 69.3 96.5 23.1 8741 99.8 0 75.8 81.5

NL01488

 28.2 24.1 72.0 111.2 24.1 8645 98.7 0 73.8 87.0

NL01494

 31.3 27.5 76.4 127.0 27.5 8263 94.3 0 78.0 96.1

NL01495

 31.1 27.9 76.0 142.1 27.9 8735 99.7 0 74.4 108.7

NL10138

 16.9 13.4 50.2 77.0 13.4 8520 97.3 0 55.6 68.6

NL10241

 23.3 19.4 61.2 99.5 19.4 8136 92.9 0 70.2 75.4

NL10247

 19.2 15.6 54.5 83.9 15.6 8659 98.8 0 62.5 74.6

NL10404

 24.4 17.9 76.2 183.4 17.9 8421 96.1 0 88.8 128.7

NL10418

 31.6 27.7 75.2 123.5 27.7 8651 98.8 0 73.1 98.2

NL10442

 22.9 19.1 61.7 130.9 19.1 8720 99.5 0 60.5 75.4

NL10446

 26.9 21.4 74.5 161.3 21.4 8518 97.2 0 82.0 111.7

NL10549

 18.8 15.2 53.3 78.7 15.2 8557 97.7 0 56.3 64.4

NL10643

 22.1 17.8 61.9 95.7 17.8 8691 99.2 0 64.3 78.1

NL10742

 22.8 19.3 58.3 121.2 19.3 8681 99.1 0 64.0 80.7

NL10938

 11.1 8.1 39.8 85.7 8.1 8728 99.6 0 51.5 60.8

NL49003

 24.0 19.8 64.4 94.4 19.8 8597 98.1 0 73.3 81.6

NL49014

 25.2 21.2 65.1 108.6 21.2 8620 98.4 0 70.4 87.4

NL49019

 29.5 25.1 72.8 123.9 25.1 8719 99.5 0 78.0 98.7

NL49021

 22.5 18.4 61.8 110.5 18.4 8595 98.1 0 63.5 73.7

NL49022

 21.6 16.6 64.0 137.3 16.6 8652 98.8 0 67.4 85.5

NL49701

 22.3 16.1 67.6 132.8 16.1 8520 97.3 0 75.2 93.3
Roadside

NL01487

 40.5 37.8 87.9 138.1 37.8 8724 99.6 0 89.3 99.6

NL01489

 38.0 35.1 88.2 148.4 35.1 8736 99.7 0 85.9 107.0

NL01491

 37.8 34.5 86.7 149.9 34.5 8744 99.8 0 92.4 113.2

NL01493

 44.3 40.3 99.3 174.0 40.3 8671 99.0 0 102.5 126.7

NL01908

 33.7 30.2 82.1 139.5 30.2 8716 99.5 0 86.2 106.2

NL10136

 26.4 23.7 66.7 151.1 23.7 8077 92.2 0 87.2 92.1

NL10236

 24.5 21.2 60.8 107.4 21.2 8736 99.7 0 65.4 79.8

NL10237

 29.5 26.5 69.6 134.2 26.5 8373 95.6 0 72.0 94.5

NL10240

 33.3 29.6 82.2 142.4 29.6 7910 90.3 0 140.6 131.1

NL10433

 34.1 31.3 76.0 131.8 31.3 8700 99.3 0 79.3 90.7

NL10445

 33.9 29.8 83.2 240.9 29.8 8446 96.4 2 95.7 135.7

NL10547

 23.5 20.0 60.0 95.5 20.0 8726 99.6 0 66.7 82.0

NL10550

 27.3 23.3 71.6 112.6 23.3 8736 99.7 0 76.4 89.1

NL10636

 28.6 25.0 71.2 103.9 25.0 8534 97.4 0 73.1 85.7

NL10639

 30.9 27.4 73.9 112.3 27.4 6537 74.6 0 71.5 89.3

NL10641

 32.4 29.9 75.0 123.3 29.9 8578 97.9 0 79.6 84.1

NL10741

 32.2 29.8 72.5 143.9 29.8 8583 98.0 0 79.8 97.0

NL10937

 24.8 21.9 60.5 105.2 21.9 8467 96.7 0 71.2 82.9

NL49002

 48.4 46.6 96.9 176.8 46.6 8697 99.3 0 105.7 130.8

NL49007

 43.9 40.1 98.9 157.6 40.1 8497 97.0 0 98.0 120.3

NL49012

 35.4 31.1 82.8 130.8 31.1 8644 98.7 0 88.7 103.1

NL49017

 35.2 32.0 77.4 141.0 32.0 8514 97.2 0 89.6 107.3

NL49020

 43.5 40.7 92.4 149.8 40.7 8673 99.0 0 93.7 112.7
Industrial

NL01496

 28.6 24.6 85.6 151.1 24.6 8559 97.7 0 105.1 125.1

NL49704

 26.4 20.8 74.2 174.6 20.8 8554 97.6 0 80.2 102.2
* Hovering over the station code will show the site name, location and responsible monitoring network
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the future EU limit value from 01-01-2030 (2024/2881/EC)
and red of the current EU limit value (2008/50/EC)
2 Number of hours where concentrations exceed 200 µg/m³
- Color indicates exceedance of > 3 times (orange) or > 18 times (red) per calendar year
Table 1: Key concentration values for nitrogen dioxide in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual NO2 means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 15.2 20
Urban Background 23.9 21
Roadside 34.1 22
Industrial 27.5 2
Table 2: Summary table for nitrogen dioxide in 2017 (in μg/m3)

2.2 Particulate matter

Key statistics for PM10 in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % exc_50_d2
Rural Background

NL10131

 19.5 16.1 55.6 88.2 16.1 359 98.4 11

NL10133

 17.8 15.2 44.8 75.4 15.2 360 98.6 6

NL10230

 19.7 16.3 59.4 94.4 16.3 363 99.5 13

NL10235

 17.1 14.2 50.5 92.5 14.2 364 99.7 7

NL10246

 17.7 13.8 54.1 93.8 13.8 242 66.3 8

NL10318

 17.8 14.4 61.7 93.7 14.4 364 99.7 10

NL10437

 16.6 13.9 48.8 86.2 13.9 356 97.5 6

NL10444

 16.2 14.3 46.0 82.2 14.3 363 99.5 5

NL10538

 15.1 12.9 43.0 82.6 12.9 356 97.5 6

NL10617

 15.6 12.8 54.5 86.1 12.8 360 98.6 8

NL10631

 23.3 18.0 63.4 83.0 18.1 100 27.4 8

NL10633

 16.7 13.8 48.2 85.6 13.8 334 91.5 6

NL10644

 15.4 12.9 39.0 74.6 12.9 349 95.6 3

NL10722

 18.3 15.1 55.4 94.6 15.1 364 99.7 9

NL10738

 18.6 15.6 54.6 96.9 15.6 365 100.0 10

NL10807

 18.3 15.0 56.6 88.2 15.0 360 98.6 9

NL10818

 15.0 12.8 54.6 81.3 12.8 357 97.8 8

NL10918

 13.5 11.3 49.4 80.6 11.3 351 96.2 7

NL10929

 14.8 12.3 58.0 82.6 12.3 350 95.9 10

NL10934

 15.9 13.0 49.2 79.3 13.0 355 97.3 6

NL49703

 16.3 13.9 45.4 80.8 13.9 358 98.1 5
Urban Background

NL01485

 19.6 17.0 52.3 87.2 17.0 358 98.1 9

NL01488

 18.1 15.5 48.7 79.7 15.5 350 95.9 7

NL01494

 20.6 18.1 52.5 81.8 18.1 319 87.4 7

NL01495

 19.7 17.4 47.5 75.1 17.4 355 97.3 4

NL10138

 16.7 14.3 47.0 74.4 14.3 355 97.3 6

NL10241

 19.5 16.6 51.0 69.4 16.6 354 97.0 8

NL10247

 18.9 16.1 54.8 86.4 16.1 362 99.2 9

NL10404

 20.1 17.4 51.8 93.9 17.4 365 100.0 9

NL10418

 19.9 17.1 50.5 96.3 17.1 364 99.7 9

NL10442

 18.0 15.4 51.6 92.9 15.4 363 99.5 8

NL10446

 17.0 15.1 41.1 97.0 15.1 320 87.7 3

NL10549

 16.7 14.2 52.2 86.9 14.2 360 98.6 8

NL49014

 17.1 14.8 46.9 78.6 14.8 359 98.4 6

NL49016

 21.5 19.1 52.8 81.6 19.1 352 96.4 8

NL49701

 19.9 16.6 56.1 88.8 16.6 354 97.0 10
Roadside

NL01487

 22.6 19.9 54.3 79.7 19.9 346 94.8 10

NL01489

 21.2 19.1 50.4 80.4 19.1 355 97.3 7

NL01491

 21.7 19.4 48.4 81.8 19.5 352 96.4 7

NL01493

 21.0 18.0 50.1 81.3 18.0 350 95.9 7

NL01908

 21.8 18.9 56.6 80.1 18.9 350 95.9 12

NL10136

 18.9 16.7 46.8 67.2 16.7 342 93.7 5

NL10236

 19.3 16.6 53.3 87.4 16.6 362 99.2 9

NL10237

 21.5 18.3 52.6 83.6 18.3 362 99.2 13

NL10240

 21.9 18.8 57.2 93.8 18.8 347 95.1 15

NL10433

 21.6 19.4 53.5 85.9 19.4 348 95.3 9

NL10445

 23.5 20.4 57.2 106.7 20.4 365 100.0 14

NL10545

 25.1 21.3 67.6 89.8 21.3 125 34.2 12

NL10547

 18.4 15.7 58.4 93.1 15.7 364 99.7 10

NL10550

 19.4 16.8 55.6 91.8 16.8 363 99.5 10

NL10636

 19.1 16.1 60.4 98.4 16.1 360 98.6 11

NL10639

 19.7 16.6 55.5 127.3 16.7 358 98.1 12

NL10641

 18.3 15.4 52.1 89.8 15.4 361 98.9 9

NL10741

 22.0 18.4 66.2 94.2 18.4 362 99.2 19

NL10937

 21.9 18.2 66.6 99.0 18.3 364 99.7 13

NL49007

 22.1 19.1 56.7 86.6 19.1 350 95.9 12

NL49012

 21.8 19.3 52.3 83.9 19.3 351 96.2 8

NL49017

 20.1 17.2 49.9 82.1 17.2 351 96.2 6

NL49020

 22.5 20.1 53.2 84.6 20.1 360 98.6 10
Industrial

NL01496

 23.8 21.3 57.0 99.1 21.3 358 98.1 13

NL49704

 17.5 14.1 55.2 84.6 14.1 356 97.5 8
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the future EU limit value from 01-01-2030 (2024/2881/EC)
and red of the current EU limit value (2008/50/EC)
2 Number of days where concentrations exceed 50 µg/m³
- Red color indicates exceedance of > 35 times per calendar year
Table 3: Key concentration values for PM10 in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual PM10 means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 16.7 19
Urban Background 18.9 13
Roadside 20.9 22
Industrial 20.7 2
Table 4: Summary table for PM10 in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Key statistics for PM2.5 in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL10131

 10.2 8.2 30.8 54.6 8.2 350 95.9

NL10230

 11.1 8.5 40.2 72.6 8.5 354 97.0

NL10444

 9.8 7.1 40.6 72.0 7.1 357 97.8

NL10538

 9.0 6.0 35.0 61.7 6.1 350 95.9

NL10644

 9.9 7.7 35.0 69.7 7.7 336 92.1

NL10738

 11.2 8.5 37.2 74.9 8.5 354 97.0

NL10934

 8.7 5.7 38.3 64.1 5.7 344 94.2

NL49703

 10.1 6.8 41.3 76.6 6.8 356 97.5
Urban Background

NL01488

 11.6 8.9 42.3 75.8 8.9 351 96.2

NL01494

 12.6 9.6 39.1 76.7 9.6 347 95.1

NL01495

 11.9 9.2 36.5 70.5 9.2 354 97.0

NL10138

 10.0 7.4 36.5 54.8 7.4 352 96.4

NL10241

 11.5 9.1 35.2 52.2 9.1 339 92.9

NL10247

 12.2 9.7 42.1 69.8 9.7 353 96.7

NL10404

 10.2 7.1 42.6 78.5 7.1 348 95.3

NL10418

 10.3 7.6 39.6 74.7 7.6 350 95.9

NL10643

 10.8 7.8 47.1 75.8 7.8 352 96.4

NL10742

 11.6 8.9 44.0 68.9 8.9 352 96.4

NL10821

 10.2 7.3 46.9 71.8 7.4 348 95.3

NL10938

 9.6 6.2 42.3 63.2 6.3 338 92.6

NL49014

 10.1 6.8 41.8 77.8 6.8 357 97.8

NL49016

 14.4 11.8 49.1 81.9 11.8 356 97.5

NL49701

 11.8 8.7 43.8 73.9 8.7 362 99.2
Roadside

NL01487

 14.7 11.5 47.2 79.3 11.5 357 97.8

NL01489

 13.0 10.1 40.6 77.4 10.1 357 97.8

NL01491

 12.7 10.6 41.4 72.1 10.6 353 96.7

NL10136

 9.9 7.5 31.8 49.0 7.5 344 94.2

NL10240

 12.2 9.1 44.2 76.9 9.1 343 94.0

NL10433

 10.2 7.3 44.1 76.4 7.3 312 85.5

NL10448

 11.6 8.5 40.5 76.3 8.5 354 97.0

NL10547

 10.3 7.2 48.4 71.0 7.2 349 95.6

NL10636

 10.8 7.9 42.0 71.4 7.9 351 96.2

NL10641

 10.4 7.8 41.4 71.5 7.8 357 97.8

NL10741

 11.8 9.3 41.6 68.2 9.3 352 96.4

NL10937

 9.4 6.9 33.6 57.6 6.9 336 92.1

NL49007

 12.7 9.8 47.1 76.5 9.8 354 97.0

NL49012

 13.9 11.0 42.7 72.8 11.0 351 96.2

NL49017

 13.5 10.3 42.7 76.0 10.3 357 97.8
Industrial

NL01496

 11.3 8.2 41.3 76.8 8.2 344 94.2

NL49704

 10.9 8.0 45.9 75.1 8.0 345 94.5
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the future EU limit value from 01-01-2030 (2024/2881/EC)
and red of the current EU limit value (2008/50/EC)
Table 5: Key concentration values for PM2.5 in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual PM2.5 means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 10.0 8
Urban Background 11.3 15
Roadside 11.9 14
Industrial 11.1 2
Table 6: Summary table for PM2.5 in 2017 (in μg/m3)

The Average Exposure Indicator (AEI) for PM2.5 assesses the general population’s long-term exposure to fine particles in urban areas and is based on a 3-year average measured at urban background stations. The AEI in year 2017 is 11.4 µg/m³.

2.3 Sulphur dioxide

Key statistics for SO2 in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % exc_350_h2 max.roll.24 max.roll.8 exc_125_d3 mean_winter4
Rural Background

NL10318

 0.8 0.8 2.9 3.5 0.8 227 2.6 0 2.1 2.9 0 NA

NL10444

 1.0 0.7 4.7 14.0 0.7 8714 99.5 0 10.2 8.4 0 0.8

NL10644

 0.4 0.2 3.5 11.0 0.2 8643 98.7 0 3.9 6.9 0 0.3

NL10722

 0.6 0.3 4.9 20.9 0.3 8561 97.7 0 8.1 11.4 0 0.6

NL10934

 0.4 0.3 2.3 9.5 0.3 8537 97.5 0 3.5 5.0 0 0.3
Urban Background

NL01485

 4.7 2.7 29.7 93.8 2.7 8716 99.5 0 25.5 41.0 0 4.3

NL01495

 3.2 2.4 14.6 64.9 2.4 8738 99.7 0 20.1 25.3 0 3.5

NL49016

 0.9 0.6 4.5 19.5 0.6 8552 97.6 0 7.0 11.8 0 0.7
Industrial

NL01484

 7.1 4.9 28.3 325.9 4.9 8602 98.2 0 23.4 53.9 0 6.1

NL01496

 3.5 2.5 14.4 86.9 2.5 8721 99.6 0 19.5 41.6 0 3.1

NL49704

 1.2 0.7 6.0 24.8 0.7 7798 89.0 0 6.8 15.2 0 1.1
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the yearly limit value of 20 µg/m³ (2024/2881/EC)
2 Number of hours where concentrations exceed 350 µg/m³
- Color indicates exceedance of > 3 times (orange) or > 24 times (red) per calendar year
3 Number of days where concentrations exceed 125 µg/m³
- Red color indicates exceedance of > 3 times per calendar year
4 Mean concentrations in winter (1 October 2017 to 31 March 2018)
for assessing the critical level for the protection of vegetation and natural ecosystems
- Red color indicates exceedance of 20 µg/m³
Table 7: Key concentration values for sulphur dioxide in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual SO2 means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 0.6 4
Urban Background 2.9 3
Industrial 5.3 2
Table 8: Summary table for sulphur dioxide in 2017 (in μg/m3)

2.4 Ozone

For ozone, there is no limit value based on the annual mean, instead the number of days where the maximum daily rolling 8-h mean of ozone concentrations exceed 120 µg/m³ is assessed. For the long-term objective, this may not be exceeded on any day. The target value for the protection of human health takes into account data that is averaged over three years. Until 1 January 2030, 120 µg/m³ may not be exceeded on more than 25 days per calendar year averaged over three years and thereafter, it’s set to a maximum of 18 days. See Table 11 for the number of exceedance days in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and their 3-year averages.

In addition, the number of days on which at least one exceedance of the information or alert threshold value is observed, is shown in the columns exc_info and exc_alert in the table below. The information threshold for ozone is 180 µg/m³ for one-hour ozone concentrations and the alert threshold for ozone is 240 µg/m³ for one-hour ozone concentrations.

The ‘Accumulated Ozone exposure over a Threshold of 40 parts per billion’ (AOT40), expressed in (µg/m³) × hours, means the sum of the difference between hourly concentrations greater than 80 µg/m³ (= 40 parts per billion) and 80 µg/m³ over a given period using only the 1-hour values measured between 8:00 and 20:00 Central European Time (CET) each day (EU Directive 2024/2881). The target value for AOT40 is 18000 µg/m³ x h averaged over 5 years. Note that the aot40 values in the table are only for the year 2017 and based on measurements from May up to and including July.

Another widely used ozone indicator for health impact assessment recommended by WHO called somo35 is given in the table. This represents the sum of all daily maximum 8 hour moving averages over 35 ppb - equivalent to 70 µg/m³.

Key statistics for O3 in 2017
mean P50 P98 max median n % max.roll.24 max.roll.8 exc_1201 exc_info2 exc_alert3 aot404 somo355
Rural Background

NL10107

 42.6 41.1 108.9 171.1 41.1 8649 98.7 108.0 162.1 12 0 0 10562.0 2637.2

NL10131

 43.3 42.0 110.2 177.5 42.0 8452 96.5 106.8 160.4 14 0 0 10736.6 2750.8

NL10230

 41.0 40.4 105.6 171.1 40.4 8591 98.1 104.0 141.4 10 0 0 8023.3 2286.1

NL10235

 42.7 42.6 104.5 192.9 42.6 8408 96.0 123.1 154.3 9 1 0 7569.7 2455.8

NL10301

 51.8 54.4 101.5 195.2 54.4 8613 98.3 121.1 151.3 8 1 0 7370.9 2771.7

NL10318

 46.2 46.3 101.1 180.6 46.3 8530 97.4 119.9 149.4 6 1 0 6847.9 2342.7

NL10437

 43.8 45.3 95.9 157.6 45.3 8596 98.1 103.8 129.3 4 0 0 4870.7 1681.3

NL10444

 52.3 56.5 99.1 168.1 56.5 8628 98.5 105.4 139.3 5 0 0 6483.7 2880.5

NL10538

 50.9 52.9 90.8 151.3 52.9 8521 97.3 94.8 129.5 3 0 0 4068.5 1892.2

NL10617

 46.5 46.8 96.0 150.1 46.8 8466 96.6 97.8 134.0 6 0 0 5338.4 2071.9

NL10631

 35.7 35.8 70.9 87.6 35.8 2378 27.1 68.9 77.9 0 0 0 0.0 61.7

NL10633

 41.9 42.2 93.3 158.2 42.2 8262 94.3 98.2 137.0 3 0 0 4760.8 1572.8

NL10644

 43.1 43.5 98.4 163.9 43.5 8475 96.7 111.4 139.1 8 0 0 5974.3 1991.9

NL10722

 40.9 38.2 101.2 182.3 38.2 8577 97.9 107.1 154.2 8 1 0 7678.9 2299.0

NL10738

 43.3 42.5 106.3 170.9 42.5 8645 98.7 111.6 153.0 11 0 0 9344.0 2693.0

NL10807

 46.6 46.0 103.7 173.4 46.0 8496 97.0 111.5 155.3 10 0 0 8206.3 2691.7

NL10818

 48.5 49.0 98.0 166.6 49.0 8511 97.2 100.8 147.3 10 0 0 6581.4 2318.2

NL10918

 49.4 51.0 86.4 153.3 51.0 8321 95.0 87.8 121.0 1 0 0 2928.4 1310.6

NL10929

 47.2 46.8 97.3 154.6 46.8 8560 97.7 98.1 140.3 6 0 0 6071.1 2198.4

NL10934

 49.3 50.6 86.9 151.7 50.6 8486 96.9 97.4 132.5 3 0 0 2920.1 1444.0
Suburban Background

NL10133

 42.5 41.8 107.7 189.0 41.8 8638 98.6 115.5 174.0 9 1 0 9921.9 2367.7

NL10247

 40.6 38.9 109.2 168.2 38.9 8627 98.5 113.9 153.4 12 0 0 9494.9 2649.5

NL10938

 50.0 51.6 93.3 156.1 51.6 8652 98.8 100.6 141.4 4 0 0 4477.0 2026.2
Urban Background

NL01485

 40.0 40.9 89.7 142.0 40.9 8652 98.8 103.0 135.2 2 0 0 3858.6 1282.7

NL01494

 38.6 39.2 92.1 148.8 39.2 8384 95.7 91.4 132.5 5 0 0 3898.0 1468.7

NL01495

 37.2 37.5 83.5 126.0 37.5 8321 95.0 90.2 116.5 0 0 0 2242.2 804.1

NL10138

 48.9 48.4 116.4 202.3 48.4 8614 98.3 129.8 187.8 17 1 0 13935.8 3580.6

NL10241

 42.4 42.0 108.0 172.1 42.0 8330 95.1 117.2 159.2 10 0 0 8223.9 2586.8

NL10404

 48.9 52.7 97.7 164.9 52.7 8394 95.8 103.1 131.7 3 0 0 5722.5 2495.9

NL10418

 38.1 38.5 90.2 148.7 38.5 8643 98.7 97.3 133.8 3 0 0 3905.4 1281.8

NL10442

 42.4 42.9 101.5 165.4 42.9 8631 98.5 110.6 150.9 7 0 0 6869.8 2212.0

NL10446

 44.3 46.9 98.3 161.9 47.0 8650 98.7 109.9 131.8 6 0 0 6010.1 2073.1

NL10643

 39.9 39.8 94.2 154.1 39.8 8635 98.6 100.2 138.3 5 0 0 5119.9 1647.9

NL10742

 42.8 42.1 105.9 175.1 42.1 8637 98.6 114.3 158.3 13 0 0 8515.1 2461.5

NL49003

 41.4 42.6 87.6 147.8 42.6 8529 97.4 104.5 122.6 1 0 0 3215.2 1325.0

NL49014

 44.8 45.9 96.4 164.5 45.9 8612 98.3 101.8 139.2 6 0 0 5560.7 2109.8
Roadside

NL01489

 32.8 30.1 89.4 163.5 30.1 8578 97.9 102.1 143.3 2 0 0 3667.3 1158.1

NL01493

 34.2 33.7 83.7 139.1 33.7 8627 98.5 89.0 113.6 0 0 0 2238.2 750.3

NL10236

 40.0 39.0 102.4 162.7 39.0 8650 98.7 113.1 145.3 10 0 0 7217.1 1952.0

NL10433

 37.6 37.7 95.2 155.3 37.7 8651 98.8 92.9 127.3 3 0 0 4737.2 1542.4

NL10550

 42.9 45.5 86.4 144.3 45.5 8640 98.6 83.4 119.3 0 0 0 2477.8 1099.3

NL10636

 37.7 37.3 89.4 156.8 37.3 8553 97.6 110.9 137.0 1 0 0 3689.9 1186.7

NL10639

 37.8 37.5 89.5 146.2 37.5 8494 97.0 93.9 132.2 3 0 0 3670.7 1306.5

NL10641

 35.1 35.1 83.1 147.6 35.1 8438 96.3 84.7 127.4 1 0 0 2644.0 763.2

NL49012

 38.1 39.5 82.0 131.5 39.5 8577 97.9 82.4 113.6 0 0 0 1967.7 710.7
Industrial

NL01496

 43.8 45.2 91.7 130.2 45.2 8536 97.4 93.0 121.0 1 0 0 2124.4 1261.7
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Number of days where the maximum daily rolling 8-h mean of ozone concentrations exceed 120 µg/m³
- Orange color indicates exceedance of > 18 times per calendar year
2 Number of days on which at least one exceedance of the threshold value for information of the public is observed
(one-hour ozone concentration > 180 µg/m³ (information threshold))
3 Number of days on which at least one exceedance of the threshold value for alerting the public is observed
(one-hour ozone concentration > 240 µg/m³ (alert threshold))
4 Accumulated amount of Ozone over the Threshold value of 40 ppb (May - July), related to vegetation [µg/m³ h]
- Blue color indicates exceedance of 18000 [µg/m³ h]
5 Sum of max. 8 hour moving averages > 35 ppb or 70 [µg/m³ d] (WHO)
Table 9: Key concentration values for ozone in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual O3 means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 45.8 19
Suburban Background 44.4 3
Urban Background 42.3 13
Roadside 37.4 9
Industrial 43.8 1
Table 10: Summary table for ozone in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Number of exceedance days for O3
2015 2016 2017 average_3y1
Rural Background

NL10107

 16 14 12 14

NL10131

 13 17 14 15

NL10230

 16 12 10 13

NL10235

 12 11 9 11

NL10301

 7 7 8 7

NL10318

 10 10 6 9

NL10437

 8 8 4 7

NL10444

 8 10 5 8

NL10538

 7 10 3 7

NL10631

 8 3 - 6

NL10633

 10 7 3 7

NL10644

 12 10 8 10

NL10722

 11 16 8 12

NL10738

 16 11 11 13

NL10807

 7 17 10 11

NL10818

 6 7 10 8

NL10918

 9 7 1 6

NL10929

 9 11 6 9

NL10934

 6 3 3 4

NL10617

 - 10 6 8
Suburban Background

NL10133

 13 8 9 10

NL10247

 15 14 12 14

NL10938

 8 6 4 6
Urban Background

NL01485

 7 6 2 5

NL01494

 9 7 5 7

NL01495

 5 3 0 3

NL10138

 19 17 17 18

NL10241

 14 9 10 11

NL10404

 9 9 3 7

NL10418

 10 9 3 7

NL10442

 13 9 7 10

NL10446

 7 10 6 8

NL10643

 14 12 5 10

NL10742

 13 12 13 13

NL49003

 6 6 1 4

NL49014

 8 8 6 7
Roadside

NL01489

 8 4 2 5

NL01493

 5 1 0 2

NL10236

 14 13 10 12

NL10433

 10 8 3 7

NL10550

 4 6 0 3

NL10639

 10 4 3 6

NL10641

 4 6 1 4

NL49012

 6 3 0 3

NL10636

 - - 1 1
Industrial

NL01496

 8 5 1 5
* A hyphen is used in case of insufficient valid data to provide an annual mean
1 Number of days averaged over 3 years where the maximum daily rolling 8-h mean of ozone concentrations exceed 120 µg/m³
- Orange color indicates exceedance of > 18 times per calendar year and red of > 25 times per calendar year
Table 11: Number of days where the maximum daily rolling 8-h mean of ozone concentrations exceed 120 µg/m³ in 2015, 2016 and 2017

2.5 Carbon monoxide

Key statistics for CO in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % max.roll.24 max.roll.8 exc_100002
Rural Background

NL10644

 215.6 193.2 490.2 740.5 193.2 8636 98.6 614.1 659.1 0
Urban Background

NL10742

 277.8 244.4 673.2 1699.3 244.4 6768 77.3 969.4 1338.6 0

NL49014

 243.6 217.0 596.7 2254.3 217.0 8435 96.3 837.6 1419.1 0
Roadside

NL10741

 350.0 310.5 814.1 2458.7 310.5 8749 99.9 1075.6 1665.3 0

NL49007

 344.4 295.1 836.9 2527.4 295.1 8424 96.2 1155.4 1499.2 0

NL49012

 368.6 322.9 825.4 1709.6 322.9 8618 98.4 944.2 1209.7 0
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the future EU limit value from 01-01-2030 (2024/2881/EC)
and red of the current EU limit value (2008/50/EC)
2 Number of days where the maximum daily 8 hour mean concentrations exceed 10000 µg/m³
- Red color indicates an exceedance of at least 1 time per calendar year
Table 12: Key concentration values for carbon monoxide in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual CO means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 215.6 1
Urban Background 243.6 1
Roadside 354.3 3
Table 13: Summary table for carbon monoxide in 2017 (in μg/m3)

2.6 Black carbon

There currently is no limit value for black carbon as the evidence base is not yet sufficient enough to provide a basis for legally binding limit values (WHO, 2021).

Key statistics for BC in 2017
mean P50 P98 max median n % max.roll.24 max.roll.8
Rural Background

NL10131

 0.8 0.6 3.0 6.7 0.6 8494 97.0 4.6 5.1

NL10444

 0.6 0.3 3.2 9.0 0.3 8731 99.7 7.1 5.7

NL10633

 0.7 0.5 3.2 13.5 0.5 8480 96.8 5.2 5.5

NL10644

 0.7 0.5 2.6 8.3 0.5 4297 49.1 2.7 3.3

NL10807

 0.5 0.3 3.0 6.2 0.3 8747 99.9 5.3 5.5

NL10929

 0.6 0.4 2.9 5.8 0.4 8744 99.8 5.0 5.3
Urban Background

NL01488

 1.0 0.7 3.7 7.2 0.7 8662 98.9 6.8 6.0

NL01494

 1.1 0.8 4.3 10.2 0.8 8540 97.5 6.0 7.0

NL10138

 0.9 0.6 3.7 9.0 0.6 8743 99.8 7.1 7.6

NL10247

 1.0 0.7 3.9 14.0 0.7 8715 99.5 5.7 6.8

NL10742

 1.0 0.7 3.4 9.6 0.7 8748 99.9 6.3 8.1

NL10821

 0.8 0.5 3.5 9.4 0.5 8715 99.5 9.4 5.9

NL10938

 0.6 0.4 3.3 20.4 0.4 8753 99.9 9.2 5.3

NL49003

 0.9 0.6 3.9 9.3 0.6 8670 99.0 6.5 6.2

NL49014

 0.9 0.6 3.2 7.4 0.6 8491 96.9 6.2 6.6

NL49701

 0.8 0.5 3.8 12.3 0.5 8748 99.9 6.3 6.2
Roadside

NL01487

 1.9 1.6 5.9 10.6 1.6 8722 99.6 8.0 8.7

NL01491

 1.4 1.0 4.6 12.4 1.0 8743 99.8 7.6 10.3

NL01492

 1.4 1.1 4.4 10.4 1.1 8597 98.1 6.1 7.7

NL01493

 2.0 1.5 6.5 12.8 1.5 8693 99.2 8.3 10.2

NL10237

 1.5 1.2 4.6 11.2 1.2 8652 98.8 6.3 8.4

NL10641

 1.4 1.2 4.0 7.5 1.2 8604 98.2 5.3 6.2

NL10741

 1.7 1.4 5.4 15.7 1.4 8483 96.8 7.0 9.8

NL49007

 1.8 1.4 5.9 11.6 1.4 8582 98.0 7.4 8.7

NL49012

 1.4 1.0 4.6 10.5 1.0 8685 99.1 7.9 7.5

NL49017

 1.5 1.2 4.5 9.6 1.2 8669 99.0 7.8 6.9

NL49020

 1.8 1.5 5.5 11.7 1.5 8746 99.8 8.2 8.4
Industrial

NL01496

 0.9 0.6 3.5 9.6 0.6 8722 99.6 4.7 6.4
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
Table 14: Key concentration values for black carbon in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual BC means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 0.6 5
Urban Background 0.9 10
Roadside 1.6 11
Industrial 0.9 1
Table 15: Summary table for black carbon in 2017 (in μg/m3)

2.7 Volatile organic compounds

Key statistics for benzene in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL49703

 0.6 0.5 2.3 3.0 0.5 352 96.4
Urban Background

NL01485

 0.5 0.4 2.0 4.3 0.4 365 100.0

NL01494

 0.8 0.7 2.3 3.5 0.7 359 98.4

NL01495

 0.6 0.5 2.3 5.9 0.5 360 98.6
Roadside

NL49017

 1.2 1.1 2.3 3.0 1.1 356 97.5
Industrial

NL01484

 1.7 1.3 6.2 9.6 1.3 361 98.9

NL01496

 0.7 0.5 2.9 4.0 0.5 358 98.1

NL49704

 0.7 0.5 2.7 5.8 0.5 339 92.9
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the future EU limit value from 01-01-2030 (2024/2881/EC)
and red of the current EU limit value (2008/50/EC)
Table 16: Key concentration values for benzene in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual benzene means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 0.6 1
Urban Background 0.6 3
Roadside 1.2 1
Industrial 1.0 3
Table 17: Summary table for benzene in 2017 (in μg/m3)

For toluene there is no legally binding limit value. Other VOCs are also measured by the LML, but are excluded from this report.

Key statistics for toluene in 2017
mean P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL49703

 1.4 1.0 5.3 14.3 1.0 352 96.4
Urban Background

NL01485

 2.3 2.1 6.1 9.0 2.1 365 100.0

NL01494

 2.7 2.4 6.8 9.8 2.4 359 98.4

NL01495

 1.9 1.7 5.6 10.7 1.7 360 98.6
Roadside

NL49017

 3.4 3.2 6.7 9.4 3.2 356 97.5
Industrial

NL01484

 2.6 1.9 9.9 30.2 1.9 361 98.9

NL01496

 0.7 0.5 2.4 3.6 0.5 359 98.4

NL49704

 1.7 1.1 7.5 18.1 1.1 339 92.9
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
Table 18: Key concentration values for toluene in 2017 (in μg/m3)
Annual toluene means per station type in 2017
type mean n
Rural Background 1.4 1
Urban Background 2.3 3
Roadside 3.4 1
Industrial 1.7 3
Table 19: Summary table for toluene in 2017 (in μg/m3)

2.8 Heavy metals

The measurements of lead, arsenic, cadmium and nickel as shown in the tables below are based on PM2.5 and PM10 filter sampling.

Key statistics for Pb in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 4.2 3.2 13.8 21.2 3.2 159 43.6 PM10

NL10644

 4.7 3.2 20.5 27.2 3.2 83 22.7 PM2.5
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 45%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the annual EU limit value
Table 20: Key concentration values for lead in 2017 (in ng/m3)
Key statistics for As in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 0.4 0.3 1.4 6.1 0.3 159 43.6 PM10

NL10644

 0.4 0.3 0.9 4.8 0.3 83 22.7 PM2.5
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 45%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the annual EU limit value
Table 21: Key concentration values for arsenic in 2017 (in ng/m3)
Key statistics for Cd in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.8 0.1 159 43.6 PM10

NL10644

 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.1 83 22.7 PM2.5
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 45%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the annual EU limit value
Table 22: Key concentration values for cadmium in 2017 (in ng/m3)
Key statistics for Ni in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 0.9 0.8 3.3 5.4 0.8 159 43.6 PM10

NL10644

 0.8 0.6 3.1 8.2 0.6 82 22.5 PM2.5
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 45%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the annual EU limit value
Table 23: Key concentration values for nickel in 2017 (in ng/m3)

The annual means in the table below are based on solely PM10 filter sampling to conform with EU standards.

Annual heavy metals means per station type in 2017
component mean n
As 0.4 1
Cd 0.1 1
Ni 0.9 1
Pb 4.2 1
Table 24: Summary table for lead, arsenic, cadmium and nickel on PM10 filters in 2017 (in ng/m3)

2.9 Benzo(a)pyrene

Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations based on PM10 filter sampling for 2017 are given in the following table.

Key statistics for benzo(a)pyrene in 2017
mean1 P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL10444

 0.07 0.02 0.83 1.09 0.02 182 49.9
Urban Background

NL10418

 0.08 0.04 0.69 0.79 0.04 182 49.9
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 30%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the annual EU limit value
Table 25: Key concentration values for benzo(a)pyrene in 2017 (in ng/m3)

3 Discussion

For all annual LML data from 1976 up to the present year, please consult the RIVM Data catalog. The monitoring data over several years including long-term trend charts can be assessed in the section on air quality on the Environmental Data Compendium website (Compendium voor de Leefomgeving). This website also provides information about the health impact of certain pollutants. The burden of disease due to air pollution can be significant, even if concentrations comply with the European limit values. Substantial improvements in public health can be achieved with further reduction of concentrations below the limit values.

4 References

Appendix A - Overview of accreditation information and limit values

The following table lists the accreditation certificate numbers for the LML for the measurements reported here and the limit values in µg/m³ for each pollutant from the three relevant guidelines. Measurements are carried out under EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation by RIVM (L224) in collaboration with its regional partners DCMR (L520) and GGD Amsterdam (L426) who are accredited according to the same ISO standard. Analysis of heavy metals is outsourced to an external analytical laboratory that is accredited according to EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 under L026.

component accreditation_numbera averaging_period EU_limit_value EU_limit_value_revised WHO_AQG
NO2 L520, L224, L426 year 40 20 10
PM10 L520, L224, L426 year 40 20 15
PM10 L520, L224, L426 day 50 max 35×b 45 max 18×b 45 max 3-4×b
PM2.5 L520, L224, L426 year 25 10 5
PM2.5 L520, L224, L426 day
25 max 18×b
O3 L520, L224, L426 max_8_h 120 max 25×b 120 max 18×b,c 100 max 3-4×b
O3 L520, L224, L426 peak_season

60
SO2 L520, L224, L426 day 125 max 3× 50 max 18× 40
SO2 L520, L224, L426 year
20b
CO L426 max_8_h 10000 10000 10000
CO L426 day
4000 max 18×b 4000 max 3-4×b
benzene L520, L426 year 5 3.4 1.7
Pb sampling L224/analysis L026 year 0.5 0.5 0.5
As sampling L224/analysis L026 year 0.006 0.006 0.066
Cd sampling L224/analysis L026 year 0.005 0.005 0.005
Ni sampling L224/analysis L026 year 0.02 0.02 0.025
benzo(a)pyrene sampling L224/analysis N/A year 0.001 0.001 0.12
a L224 is RIVM, L520 is DCMR, L426 is GGD Amsterdam, L026 is the analytical laboratory of TNO
b max n× means a maximum number of n exceedance days per calendar year
- For WHO this is also denoted as the 99th percentile, which is equivalent to 3-4 exceedance days per year
c Averaged over 3 years
Table 26: Accreditation information and limit values in μg/m3 from EU Directives 2008/50/EC and 2004/107/EC (EU_limit_value),
EU Directive 2024/2881 (EU_limit_value_revised), and WHO global air quality guidelines from 2021 (WHO_AQG)