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Air quality measurements in the Netherlands 2018

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 2018 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 2018, 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 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % exc_2002 max.roll.24 max.roll.8
Rural Background

NL10107

 16.8 14.8 42.2 128.3 14.8 8601 98.2 0 44.5 49.7

NL10131

 17.2 14.4 47.6 90.4 14.4 8643 98.7 0 47.7 64.2

NL10133

 13.4 11.6 35.4 65.5 11.6 8641 98.6 0 38.8 49.6

NL10230

 24.8 17.5 103.5 378.1 17.5 8058 92.0 27 89.9 222.3

NL10235

 16.7 14.3 45.2 84.4 14.3 8616 98.4 0 54.8 61.3

NL10246

 18.7 15.8 50.1 89.5 15.8 8670 99.0 0 51.9 60.0

NL10301

 16.1 13.1 50.1 91.8 13.1 8588 98.0 0 56.8 79.3

NL10318

 16.0 12.6 47.4 107.5 12.6 8617 98.4 0 51.8 80.5

NL10437

 19.4 16.3 52.1 88.2 16.3 8329 95.1 0 54.4 74.0

NL10444

 15.8 12.8 48.9 86.6 12.8 8459 96.6 0 49.3 66.1

NL10538

 13.0 8.7 49.0 107.7 8.7 8571 97.8 0 52.2 67.5

NL10617

 13.3 10.9 39.5 90.0 10.9 8567 97.8 0 52.0 63.5

NL10633

 15.1 12.3 43.8 70.6 12.3 8566 97.8 0 45.3 56.9

NL10644

 17.2 14.3 47.5 86.6 14.3 8724 99.6 0 52.2 63.3

NL10722

 13.9 11.8 38.1 65.5 11.8 7713 88.0 0 53.6 56.7

NL10738

 14.3 11.9 40.2 68.0 11.9 8713 99.5 0 46.5 59.7

NL10807

 11.9 9.8 36.2 56.4 9.8 8701 99.3 0 42.4 50.8

NL10818

 11.1 8.8 36.2 124.4 8.8 8579 97.9 0 43.2 61.4

NL10918

 10.1 7.9 35.1 64.2 7.9 8524 97.3 0 48.4 56.4

NL10929

 11.0 9.0 33.1 84.1 9.0 8474 96.7 0 42.0 55.1

NL10934

 8.3 6.4 27.7 47.5 6.4 5387 61.5 0 41.9 45.2

NL49703

 20.3 16.6 57.5 99.4 16.6 8736 99.7 0 58.8 80.7
Urban Background

NL01485

 26.7 23.7 66.3 122.8 23.7 8520 97.3 0 71.6 100.7

NL01488

 25.8 21.9 69.0 166.9 21.9 8725 99.6 0 75.8 114.6

NL01494

 29.4 26.0 71.4 125.0 26.0 8719 99.5 0 76.8 111.6

NL01495

 27.9 24.6 72.4 141.0 24.6 8669 99.0 0 85.4 105.9

NL01912

 24.3 21.0 61.1 91.1 21.0 4844 55.3 0 59.0 78.8

NL10138

 16.3 13.4 46.4 71.7 13.4 8611 98.3 0 45.3 57.1

NL10241

 21.3 17.6 59.8 104.9 17.6 8573 97.9 0 89.1 72.1

NL10247

 19.1 16.3 51.8 101.3 16.3 8626 98.5 0 51.7 64.2

NL10404

 24.5 19.1 74.2 142.9 19.1 8513 97.2 0 79.2 106.8

NL10418

 29.4 25.5 72.6 129.8 25.5 8708 99.4 0 76.2 98.7

NL10442

 20.9 17.5 57.4 116.0 17.5 8719 99.5 0 59.8 74.2

NL10446

 25.0 20.1 70.7 127.7 20.1 8597 98.1 0 77.4 96.6

NL10549

 20.0 18.4 42.8 58.8 18.4 540 6.2 0 50.1 48.3

NL10643

 19.9 16.1 56.8 96.8 16.1 8740 99.8 0 54.6 78.3

NL10742

 20.8 17.8 54.1 91.2 17.8 8581 98.0 0 58.6 68.2

NL10938

 10.5 8.1 35.1 61.5 8.1 8729 99.6 0 43.7 47.8

NL49003

 21.5 17.4 61.0 121.1 17.4 8734 99.7 0 60.0 84.1

NL49014

 23.1 19.6 59.5 114.8 19.6 8620 98.4 0 62.2 73.6

NL49019

 28.1 24.0 72.4 123.7 24.0 8657 98.8 0 72.4 93.5

NL49021

 20.0 16.5 55.2 98.9 16.5 8481 96.8 0 57.3 71.8

NL49022

 20.9 16.7 61.9 110.4 16.7 8608 98.3 0 61.0 79.4

NL49701

 21.5 15.7 67.1 126.1 15.7 8712 99.5 0 65.7 105.4
Roadside

NL01487

 35.0 31.6 80.8 119.4 31.6 8706 99.4 0 86.4 101.5

NL01489

 32.3 28.1 83.2 133.5 28.1 8722 99.6 0 85.9 107.6

NL01491

 32.7 29.0 78.1 131.6 29.0 8617 98.4 0 92.2 123.6

NL01493

 38.9 35.5 86.7 151.8 35.5 8713 99.5 0 94.3 116.5

NL01908

 30.8 26.9 78.9 126.4 26.9 8735 99.7 0 86.4 99.1

NL10136

 26.5 23.8 67.7 105.3 23.8 8474 96.7 0 63.4 77.4

NL10236

 22.7 19.7 57.7 95.5 19.7 8666 98.9 0 61.2 76.6

NL10237

 27.8 24.7 68.7 108.2 24.7 8584 98.0 0 70.9 90.8

NL10240

 30.9 26.7 82.1 175.3 26.7 8588 98.0 0 75.3 124.5

NL10433

 35.6 33.4 75.8 110.5 33.4 1715 19.6 0 65.8 85.9

NL10445

 31.8 28.1 79.0 134.0 28.1 8618 98.4 0 81.3 110.3

NL10547

 17.5 12.6 45.6 51.0 12.6 179 2.0 0 32.7 43.6

NL10550

 25.6 22.8 64.2 148.7 22.8 8740 99.8 0 66.7 83.9

NL10636

 24.8 20.8 67.5 107.4 20.8 8730 99.7 0 69.6 87.3

NL10639

 28.7 24.5 73.6 112.6 24.5 8527 97.3 0 70.3 98.6

NL10641

 27.8 25.0 69.7 109.6 25.0 8622 98.4 0 74.5 89.2

NL10741

 31.5 28.8 71.6 122.5 28.8 8609 98.3 0 64.1 88.1

NL10937

 24.9 22.6 59.1 102.6 22.6 8382 95.7 0 59.9 80.4

NL49002

 40.3 36.7 91.5 174.7 36.7 8575 97.9 0 104.2 115.8

NL49007

 45.1 42.2 97.7 172.5 42.2 8492 96.9 0 101.6 134.1

NL49012

 35.6 31.2 85.5 148.5 31.2 8703 99.3 0 84.9 108.6

NL49017

 33.8 30.7 75.8 139.1 30.7 8641 98.6 0 81.9 95.0

NL49020

 40.6 37.2 90.1 143.2 37.2 8718 99.5 0 94.1 116.1
Industrial

NL01496

 27.0 23.5 77.4 220.6 23.5 8656 98.8 2 93.3 139.7

NL49704

 25.5 19.8 73.7 142.9 19.8 8717 99.5 0 80.8 111.9
* 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 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual NO2 means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 15.6 20
Urban Background 22.7 20
Roadside 31.8 21
Industrial 26.2 2
Table 2: Summary table for nitrogen dioxide in 2018 (in μg/m3)

2.2 Particulate matter

Key statistics for PM10 in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % exc_50_d2
Rural Background

NL10131

 21.2 19.1 47.0 76.4 19.2 364 99.7 6

NL10133

 17.3 15.8 43.8 65.0 15.8 363 99.5 4

NL10230

 21.3 19.7 45.4 85.2 19.7 364 99.7 6

NL10235

 17.0 14.8 37.9 80.2 14.8 363 99.5 4

NL10246

 17.9 15.4 44.3 86.7 15.4 363 99.5 4

NL10318

 19.3 15.8 51.2 78.2 15.9 358 98.1 8

NL10437

 17.9 15.3 47.3 77.5 15.3 354 97.0 5

NL10444

 16.6 14.7 37.0 66.8 14.7 355 97.3 4

NL10538

 20.5 16.4 64.8 170.1 16.5 358 98.1 15

NL10617

 17.3 14.7 42.0 65.8 14.7 344 94.2 3

NL10633

 17.7 15.4 44.9 68.5 15.4 359 98.4 4

NL10644

 17.4 15.4 42.4 70.6 15.4 363 99.5 2

NL10722

 18.6 16.6 49.4 68.2 16.6 355 97.3 6

NL10738

 20.2 17.6 50.8 74.8 17.6 351 96.2 8

NL10807

 17.9 15.7 44.9 62.4 15.7 363 99.5 4

NL10818

 16.9 14.5 45.3 52.1 14.5 355 97.3 2

NL10918

 16.5 13.9 45.4 60.1 14.0 358 98.1 6

NL10929

 15.6 14.0 38.9 47.7 14.1 352 96.4 0

NL10934

 17.8 15.8 48.6 70.9 15.8 363 99.5 6

NL49703

 17.4 15.2 46.4 65.9 15.2 360 98.6 5
Urban Background

NL01485

 21.7 19.5 47.8 77.9 19.5 363 99.5 6

NL01488

 20.2 16.9 51.4 114.7 16.9 356 97.5 8

NL01494

 22.0 20.1 46.1 78.0 20.1 361 98.9 5

NL01495

 21.0 18.9 43.9 72.6 18.9 355 97.3 4

NL01912

 19.8 18.6 37.8 44.6 18.6 200 54.8 0

NL10138

 17.5 16.4 40.4 63.0 16.4 358 98.1 3

NL10241

 21.7 18.8 50.4 86.1 18.8 360 98.6 7

NL10247

 19.9 18.1 46.6 79.6 18.1 364 99.7 5

NL10404

 19.8 17.2 47.2 78.3 17.3 362 99.2 5

NL10418

 20.6 18.2 47.1 80.5 18.2 349 95.6 6

NL10442

 18.5 16.4 42.2 77.0 16.4 365 100.0 2

NL10446

 17.7 16.1 45.6 76.4 16.1 352 96.4 3

NL49014

 19.4 17.6 43.5 64.5 17.6 357 97.8 4

NL49016

 22.2 19.6 50.5 66.8 19.6 339 92.9 8

NL49701

 19.9 17.3 46.5 68.4 17.3 347 95.1 6
Roadside

NL01487

 24.0 22.0 46.6 78.2 22.0 351 96.2 5

NL01489

 22.2 20.0 50.6 77.5 20.0 350 95.9 8

NL01491

 21.8 19.9 45.7 72.6 19.9 356 97.5 4

NL01493

 24.4 21.7 52.5 81.2 21.8 358 98.1 9

NL01908

 23.8 21.4 49.1 83.8 21.4 363 99.5 6

NL10136

 20.4 18.7 54.8 67.7 18.7 363 99.5 10

NL10236

 20.1 18.4 45.0 82.8 18.4 362 99.2 4

NL10237

 21.6 19.8 47.2 73.5 19.8 359 98.4 6

NL10240

 21.5 19.0 47.9 85.0 19.0 358 98.1 7

NL10433

 24.0 19.6 57.3 72.5 19.7 72 19.7 3

NL10445

 23.5 21.1 49.3 75.6 21.1 365 100.0 7

NL10550

 20.3 18.4 47.3 69.4 18.4 358 98.1 5

NL10636

 19.8 17.6 46.9 73.1 17.6 361 98.9 5

NL10639

 21.8 18.7 50.6 117.3 18.7 357 97.8 8

NL10641

 20.0 17.1 49.4 72.3 17.1 361 98.9 7

NL10741

 21.8 19.8 51.7 81.0 19.8 363 99.5 9

NL10937

 22.8 20.1 56.9 70.6 20.1 363 99.5 15

NL49007

 22.5 19.6 51.0 69.1 19.6 348 95.3 8

NL49012

 23.6 21.3 52.9 86.9 21.3 355 97.3 9

NL49017

 21.5 19.3 49.8 64.2 19.3 336 92.1 6

NL49020

 22.5 19.8 48.4 71.0 19.8 356 97.5 7
Industrial

NL01496

 22.7 21.0 48.1 87.8 21.1 362 99.2 7

NL49704

 20.3 17.0 52.6 72.7 17.0 358 98.1 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 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual PM10 means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 18.1 20
Urban Background 20.2 14
Roadside 22.0 20
Industrial 21.5 2
Table 4: Summary table for PM10 in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Key statistics for PM2.5 in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL10131

 12.1 9.7 36.2 63.8 9.7 352 96.4

NL10230

 12.8 10.1 35.7 75.2 10.1 362 99.2

NL10444

 10.3 7.4 31.1 60.5 7.4 354 97.0

NL10538

 10.3 7.6 34.5 55.6 7.6 353 96.7

NL10644

 10.8 8.4 31.9 47.5 8.4 351 96.2

NL10738

 12.6 9.9 34.5 60.7 9.9 358 98.1

NL10934

 9.8 6.9 33.9 46.4 6.9 361 98.9

NL49703

 12.0 9.2 36.9 61.0 9.2 359 98.4
Urban Background

NL01488

 12.7 9.1 38.4 71.5 9.1 362 99.2

NL01494

 13.7 10.6 39.2 71.8 10.6 363 99.5

NL01495

 14.8 12.1 39.8 71.3 12.1 357 97.8

NL10138

 10.0 7.9 35.0 50.7 7.9 365 100.0

NL10241

 12.7 9.8 37.1 68.3 9.9 352 96.4

NL10247

 12.9 10.6 35.7 68.0 10.7 364 99.7

NL10404

 10.2 6.9 35.8 61.8 6.9 360 98.6

NL10418

 11.0 7.8 32.6 65.0 7.8 357 97.8

NL10643

 11.5 9.0 35.3 61.0 9.0 363 99.5

NL10742

 12.0 9.5 35.9 60.6 9.5 358 98.1

NL10821

 10.3 7.8 37.1 51.9 7.8 352 96.4

NL10938

 10.7 7.7 36.6 48.2 7.7 362 99.2

NL49014

 10.8 7.9 36.4 58.4 7.9 362 99.2

NL49016

 14.1 10.5 40.7 61.0 10.5 343 94.0

NL49701

 12.8 9.7 36.3 58.5 9.7 360 98.6
Roadside

NL01487

 16.6 13.3 40.4 75.1 13.3 363 99.5

NL01489

 14.6 10.8 41.2 73.3 10.8 353 96.7

NL01491

 14.2 11.0 37.2 67.1 11.0 356 97.5

NL10136

 11.4 9.1 35.7 54.9 9.1 361 98.9

NL10240

 12.5 9.5 35.3 71.3 9.5 358 98.1

NL10433

 15.6 11.1 48.9 65.8 11.1 69 18.9

NL10448

 12.7 10.0 35.4 66.2 10.0 359 98.4

NL10547

 8.2 6.6 17.2 17.2 6.6 7 1.9

NL10636

 12.3 9.6 32.3 61.8 9.6 360 98.6

NL10641

 12.0 9.0 36.3 61.0 9.0 362 99.2

NL10741

 12.1 9.6 33.5 60.0 9.6 358 98.1

NL10937

 10.4 7.5 35.9 47.3 7.6 360 98.6

NL49007

 13.0 9.8 40.4 59.7 9.9 354 97.0

NL49012

 15.3 11.9 42.3 61.0 11.9 340 93.2

NL49017

 13.6 10.4 40.3 61.0 10.5 354 97.0
Industrial

NL01496

 12.0 8.6 39.1 70.9 8.6 363 99.5

NL49704

 14.1 11.1 40.1 60.6 11.1 360 98.6
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 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual PM2.5 means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 11.3 8
Urban Background 12.0 15
Roadside 13.1 13
Industrial 13.0 2
Table 6: Summary table for PM2.5 in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Statistics to determine the AEI for PM2.5
2016 2017 2018 average_3y
Urban Background

NL01494

 11.9 12.6 13.7 12.7

NL10241

 12.0 11.5 12.7 12.0

NL10247

 11.3 12.2 12.9 12.1

NL10404

 9.9 10.2 10.2 10.1

NL10418

 10.6 10.3 11.0 10.6

NL10643

 11.8 10.8 11.5 11.4

NL10742

 10.8 11.6 12.0 11.5

NL10821

 10.8 10.2 10.3 10.4

NL10938

 10.6 9.6 10.7 10.3

NL49014

 11.3 10.1 10.8 10.7

NL49701

 12.0 11.8 12.8 12.2

NL10138

 - 10.0 10.0 10.0
* A hyphen is used in case of insufficient valid data to provide an annual mean
Table 7: Annual means for PM2.5 (in μg/m3) on selected urban background sites and the 3-year average to determine the Average Exposure Indicator (AEI)

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 2018 is 11.2 µg/m³.

2.3 Sulphur dioxide

Key statistics for SO2 in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % exc_350_h2 max.roll.24 max.roll.8 exc_125_d3 mean_winter4
Rural Background

NL10133

 0.8 0.4 4.6 15.0 0.4 7329 83.7 0 4.4 7.5 0 0.6

NL10318

 1.1 0.5 6.4 54.0 0.5 5875 67.1 0 8.7 20.5 0 0.9

NL10444

 1.0 0.6 4.7 67.7 0.6 8504 97.1 0 7.1 19.7 0 0.9

NL10644

 0.6 0.5 3.9 15.1 0.5 8711 99.4 0 4.0 7.5 0 0.8

NL10722

 0.8 0.4 5.0 18.7 0.4 5484 62.6 0 6.5 13.4 0 0.8

NL10934

 0.5 0.3 2.3 7.0 0.3 5373 61.3 0 3.1 4.7 0 0.4
Urban Background

NL01485

 3.2 1.5 21.4 312.2 1.5 8590 98.1 0 27.5 74.9 0 3.0

NL01495

 3.0 2.3 11.5 190.6 2.3 8650 98.7 0 29.6 78.7 0 1.9

NL49016

 0.7 0.4 3.7 28.7 0.4 8352 95.3 0 6.4 13.2 0 0.7
Industrial

NL01484

 4.8 3.0 22.5 383.0 3.0 8738 99.7 2 72.0 178.1 0 5.0

NL01496

 3.1 2.4 10.6 113.1 2.4 8672 99.0 0 15.0 32.9 0 2.8

NL49704

 1.1 0.5 5.8 39.3 0.5 8623 98.4 0 7.4 14.8 0 1.2
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 2018 to 31 March 2019)
for assessing the critical level for the protection of vegetation and natural ecosystems
- Red color indicates exceedance of 20 µg/m³
Table 8: Key concentration values for sulphur dioxide in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual SO2 means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 0.8 2
Urban Background 2.3 3
Industrial 3.0 3
Table 9: Summary table for sulphur dioxide in 2018 (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 12 for the number of exceedance days in 2016, 2017 and 2018 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 2018 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 2018
mean P50 P98 max median n % max.roll.24 max.roll.8 exc_1201 exc_info2 exc_alert3 aot404 somo355
Rural Background

NL10107

 44.1 41.8 123.6 194.5 41.8 8551 97.6 121.7 185.3 27 3 0 16499.8 3812.4

NL10131

 48.5 45.8 132.1 205.5 45.8 8623 98.4 131.2 192.8 33 8 0 23301.3 4970.1

NL10230

 43.1 41.6 116.0 168.6 41.6 8608 98.3 100.7 161.3 13 0 0 13706.0 3170.2

NL10235

 44.7 43.0 122.5 276.9 43.0 8616 98.4 108.9 208.2 20 2 1 15296.4 3707.7

NL10301

 51.4 52.5 108.4 210.4 52.5 8597 98.1 123.2 184.4 11 2 0 9888.6 3077.1

NL10318

 46.1 46.3 108.2 204.2 46.3 8593 98.1 112.4 178.8 10 1 0 9372.0 2564.7

NL10437

 46.1 46.0 115.2 189.0 46.0 8614 98.3 117.0 174.0 13 2 0 11875.5 3062.7

NL10444

 51.9 54.4 114.4 226.7 54.4 8457 96.5 126.3 190.4 16 3 0 12824.8 3691.6

NL10538

 52.8 54.5 111.1 183.2 54.5 8638 98.6 119.4 163.2 12 1 0 11321.0 3086.7

NL10617

 48.5 47.9 116.7 165.7 47.9 8421 96.1 110.5 151.2 16 0 0 14644.9 3028.8

NL10633

 45.6 45.0 113.6 191.5 45.0 7799 89.0 112.5 166.8 14 2 0 10641.0 3011.7

NL10644

 44.7 44.3 109.6 195.2 44.3 8624 98.4 108.8 163.3 12 1 0 11162.6 2826.0

NL10722

 45.7 42.8 124.3 189.2 42.8 8616 98.4 140.7 176.9 22 2 0 16311.3 3941.6

NL10738

 44.6 44.2 112.8 168.0 44.3 8580 97.9 111.1 153.9 9 0 0 11251.9 2769.7

NL10807

 49.4 48.2 123.7 191.6 48.2 8590 98.1 136.2 156.4 22 1 0 16759.1 3852.1

NL10818

 52.7 51.9 125.6 211.4 51.9 8571 97.8 127.0 186.7 30 1 0 17774.2 4149.2

NL10918

 53.3 53.5 115.1 177.8 53.5 8559 97.7 117.6 162.5 13 0 0 13296.2 3396.1

NL10929

 50.5 49.7 125.6 189.8 49.7 8497 97.0 127.1 175.5 27 1 0 16860.4 3997.8

NL10934

 52.0 52.4 108.7 169.3 52.4 8523 97.3 115.1 146.9 6 0 0 9858.2 2932.3
Suburban Background

NL10133

 54.3 53.4 138.0 201.5 53.4 5681 64.9 122.5 187.2 32 4 0 19190.9 6348.0

NL10247

 46.3 43.2 130.2 207.5 43.2 8568 97.8 117.5 193.2 43 3 0 20646.7 4767.2

NL10938

 51.5 52.0 113.6 181.9 52.0 8573 97.9 123.9 164.2 14 1 0 11279.8 3037.4
Urban Background

NL01485

 41.3 41.1 102.2 186.7 41.1 8636 98.6 108.9 156.5 6 1 0 6628.3 1889.1

NL01494

 39.1 39.2 99.4 158.4 39.2 8665 98.9 94.4 139.8 6 0 0 5422.5 1819.3

NL01495

 40.0 37.7 108.2 195.1 37.7 8668 99.0 113.3 170.1 13 2 0 9114.7 2498.4

NL10138

 51.2 50.6 136.5 206.6 50.6 8613 98.3 128.2 192.6 40 4 0 22484.2 5386.3

NL10241

 48.4 46.3 132.1 193.7 46.3 8577 97.9 129.0 176.8 37 4 0 20718.5 4850.5

NL10404

 44.6 46.5 101.0 167.4 46.5 8652 98.8 107.4 148.9 7 0 0 6486.3 1973.9

NL10418

 42.3 42.4 108.1 165.4 42.4 8552 97.6 109.6 149.7 15 0 0 9218.6 2606.8

NL10442

 44.8 44.2 116.2 184.4 44.2 8567 97.8 115.9 160.2 18 1 0 12552.9 3261.2

NL10446

 45.8 46.8 114.1 186.0 46.8 8649 98.7 121.6 173.7 16 1 0 11387.2 3014.7

NL10643

 46.4 45.5 118.3 192.8 45.5 8650 98.7 123.6 171.3 17 2 0 14153.2 3433.4

NL10742

 47.1 45.2 124.0 198.6 45.2 8517 97.2 132.4 176.7 23 2 0 16358.4 3810.3

NL49003

 48.9 49.6 114.4 187.0 49.6 8574 97.9 119.5 173.0 15 1 0 12033.7 3316.2

NL49014

 48.4 48.7 117.1 192.9 48.7 8685 99.1 131.6 169.0 21 1 0 13650.3 3343.5
Roadside

NL01489

 33.9 31.5 99.9 165.5 31.5 8711 99.4 93.3 141.9 6 0 0 6681.2 1877.3

NL01493

 36.9 35.7 98.2 149.3 35.7 8747 99.9 102.8 133.0 6 0 0 5449.7 1732.2

NL10236

 42.5 41.0 112.9 170.0 41.0 8600 98.2 105.4 161.5 12 0 0 11200.2 2908.0

NL10433

 31.6 32.8 69.2 77.0 32.8 1716 19.6 74.3 73.2 0 0 0 0.0 36.7

NL10550

 43.8 45.5 100.9 188.6 45.5 8549 97.6 144.9 163.5 7 1 0 7293.2 1938.2

NL10636

 39.7 39.0 100.5 161.5 39.0 8631 98.5 101.0 141.0 4 0 0 6277.5 1851.8

NL10639

 43.8 42.3 116.3 186.3 42.3 8486 96.9 114.0 160.0 17 1 0 13112.0 3356.5

NL10641

 36.7 35.9 96.3 176.8 35.9 8440 96.3 108.9 157.1 4 0 0 5494.2 1351.2

NL49012

 42.5 42.1 106.8 158.5 42.1 8741 99.8 111.8 144.2 10 0 0 9017.6 2423.1
Industrial

NL01496

 43.8 44.7 97.1 195.3 44.7 8696 99.3 101.6 156.7 6 1 0 6103.7 1900.2
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 10: Key concentration values for ozone in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual O3 means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 48.3 18
Suburban Background 48.9 2
Urban Background 45.2 13
Roadside 40.0 8
Industrial 43.8 1
Table 11: Summary table for ozone in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Number of exceedance days for O3
2016 2017 2018 average_3y1
Rural Background

NL10107

 14 12 27 18

NL10131

 17 14 33 21

NL10230

 12 10 13 12

NL10235

 11 9 20 13

NL10301

 7 8 11 9

NL10318

 10 6 10 9

NL10437

 8 4 13 8

NL10444

 10 5 16 10

NL10538

 10 3 12 8

NL10617

 10 6 16 11

NL10631

 3 - - 3

NL10633

 7 3 - 5

NL10644

 10 8 12 10

NL10722

 16 8 22 15

NL10738

 11 11 9 10

NL10807

 17 10 22 16

NL10818

 7 10 30 16

NL10918

 7 1 13 7

NL10929

 11 6 27 15

NL10934

 3 3 6 4
Suburban Background

NL10133

 8 9 - 8

NL10247

 14 12 43 23

NL10938

 6 4 14 8
Urban Background

NL01485

 6 2 6 5

NL01494

 7 5 6 6

NL01495

 3 0 13 5

NL10138

 17 17 40 25

NL10241

 9 10 37 19

NL10404

 9 3 7 6

NL10418

 9 3 15 9

NL10442

 9 7 18 11

NL10446

 10 6 16 11

NL10643

 12 5 17 11

NL10742

 12 13 23 16

NL49003

 6 1 15 7

NL49014

 8 6 21 12
Roadside

NL01489

 4 2 6 4

NL01493

 1 0 6 2

NL10236

 13 10 12 12

NL10433

 8 3 - 6

NL10550

 6 0 7 4

NL10639

 4 3 17 8

NL10641

 6 1 4 4

NL49012

 3 0 10 4

NL10636

 - 1 4 2
Industrial

NL01496

 5 1 6 4
* 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 12: Number of days where the maximum daily rolling 8-h mean of ozone concentrations exceed 120 µg/m³ in 2016, 2017 and 2018

2.5 Carbon monoxide

Key statistics for CO in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % max.roll.24 max.roll.8 exc_100002
Rural Background

NL10644

 222.6 206.9 459.7 963.6 206.9 8499 97.0 657.6 764.8 0
Urban Background

NL10742

 264.8 239.8 612.5 1527.6 239.8 8694 99.2 718.3 888.5 0

NL49014

 301.9 280.3 584.4 2023.8 280.4 8686 99.2 808.0 1264.2 0
Roadside

NL10741

 361.7 330.8 788.4 2157.7 330.8 8741 99.8 820.3 1369.0 0

NL49007

 355.9 321.6 766.6 1997.1 321.6 8552 97.6 926.0 1491.9 0

NL49012

 381.1 347.7 787.8 1632.5 347.7 8715 99.5 1027.7 1183.5 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 13: Key concentration values for carbon monoxide in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual CO means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 222.6 1
Urban Background 283.4 2
Roadside 366.2 3
Table 14: Summary table for carbon monoxide in 2018 (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 2018
mean P50 P98 max median n % max.roll.24 max.roll.8
Rural Background

NL01437

 0.8 0.6 2.8 5.3 0.6 8561 97.7 4.1 4.7

NL10131

 0.8 0.6 2.7 6.1 0.6 8692 99.2 4.1 4.5

NL10444

 0.6 0.4 2.5 9.3 0.4 8694 99.2 4.6 5.3

NL10633

 0.7 0.5 2.5 5.6 0.5 8686 99.2 4.8 5.5

NL10644

 0.8 0.6 2.9 8.6 0.6 8722 99.6 4.9 6.0

NL10807

 0.6 0.5 2.3 10.3 0.5 8704 99.4 4.0 4.4

NL10929

 0.6 0.4 2.4 8.2 0.4 8386 95.7 3.7 4.3
Urban Background

NL01488

 0.9 0.7 3.3 11.6 0.7 8750 99.9 8.3 5.6

NL01494

 1.1 0.8 4.1 10.0 0.8 8755 99.9 4.8 6.7

NL10138

 0.9 0.6 3.7 10.4 0.6 8690 99.2 5.7 8.3

NL10247

 1.0 0.7 3.9 15.8 0.7 8739 99.8 4.9 6.9

NL10742

 0.9 0.7 3.1 8.7 0.7 8616 98.4 4.7 5.1

NL10821

 0.8 0.5 3.1 11.2 0.5 8701 99.3 4.5 5.9

NL10938

 0.6 0.4 2.4 20.5 0.4 8748 99.9 4.1 10.3

NL49003

 0.8 0.6 3.1 13.4 0.6 8720 99.5 4.7 5.1

NL49014

 0.9 0.7 2.8 6.9 0.7 8744 99.8 5.1 5.7

NL49701

 0.8 0.6 2.9 8.4 0.6 8754 99.9 5.4 5.8
Roadside

NL01487

 1.6 1.3 4.8 11.1 1.3 8702 99.3 5.9 8.5

NL01491

 1.2 0.9 3.8 8.7 0.9 8753 99.9 5.9 6.2

NL01492

 1.3 1.0 3.9 12.3 1.0 8561 97.7 6.5 7.4

NL01493

 1.9 1.5 5.9 13.1 1.5 8612 98.3 7.1 10.6

NL10237

 1.4 1.1 4.7 10.3 1.1 8747 99.9 5.3 7.7

NL10641

 1.2 1.0 3.4 6.8 1.0 8743 99.8 5.4 6.1

NL10741

 1.6 1.3 4.6 12.2 1.3 8740 99.8 5.1 7.7

NL49007

 1.7 1.4 5.2 10.0 1.4 8493 97.0 6.0 7.9

NL49012

 1.2 0.9 3.6 8.2 0.9 8725 99.6 4.9 5.7

NL49017

 1.3 1.2 3.6 11.6 1.2 8738 99.7 5.8 8.0

NL49020

 1.5 1.3 4.7 14.5 1.3 8696 99.3 6.3 8.6
Industrial

NL01496

 0.9 0.7 3.4 8.5 0.7 8623 98.4 4.6 5.7
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
Table 15: Key concentration values for black carbon in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual BC means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 0.7 7
Urban Background 0.9 10
Roadside 1.4 11
Industrial 0.9 1
Table 16: Summary table for black carbon in 2018 (in μg/m3)

2.7 Volatile organic compounds

Key statistics for benzene in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL49703

 0.8 0.6 1.9 3.3 0.6 340 93.2
Urban Background

NL01485

 0.8 0.7 2.3 3.3 0.7 362 99.2

NL01494

 0.9 0.8 2.2 4.1 0.8 355 97.3

NL01495

 1.0 0.9 2.8 4.8 0.9 361 98.9
Roadside

NL49017

 0.8 0.8 1.9 2.2 0.8 338 92.6
Industrial

NL01484

 1.3 0.9 5.0 7.6 0.9 362 99.2

NL01496

 0.6 0.5 2.3 4.4 0.5 361 98.9

NL49704

 0.7 0.5 2.1 4.3 0.5 328 89.9
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 17: Key concentration values for benzene in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual benzene means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 0.8 1
Urban Background 0.9 3
Roadside 0.8 1
Industrial 1.0 2
Table 18: Summary table for benzene in 2018 (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 2018
mean P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL49703

 1.2 0.8 4.4 8.7 0.8 340 93.2
Urban Background

NL01485

 2.8 2.3 7.0 12.7 2.3 362 99.2

NL01494

 3.1 2.8 7.3 10.6 2.8 355 97.3

NL01495

 2.4 2.0 6.4 10.1 2.0 363 99.5
Roadside

NL49017

 2.3 1.9 5.9 8.8 1.9 338 92.6
Industrial

NL01484

 2.7 1.9 13.0 52.6 1.9 362 99.2

NL01496

 0.9 0.7 3.2 6.2 0.7 361 98.9

NL49704

 2.0 1.1 8.4 40.0 1.1 328 89.9
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 85%
Table 19: Key concentration values for toluene in 2018 (in μg/m3)
Annual toluene means per station type in 2018
type mean n
Rural Background 1.2 1
Urban Background 2.7 3
Roadside 2.3 1
Industrial 1.8 2
Table 20: Summary table for toluene in 2018 (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 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 4.5 3.7 16.0 30.1 3.7 182 49.9 PM10

NL10644

 4.2 3.4 14.7 18.5 3.4 69 18.9 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 lead in 2018 (in ng/m3)
Key statistics for As in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 0.5 0.4 1.6 2.3 0.4 182 49.9 PM10

NL10644

 0.4 0.3 1.2 1.3 0.3 69 18.9 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 arsenic in 2018 (in ng/m3)
Key statistics for Cd in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 0.1 0.1 0.4 2.1 0.1 182 49.9 PM10

NL10644

 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.1 69 18.9 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 cadmium in 2018 (in ng/m3)
Key statistics for Ni in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n % filter_type
Rural Background

NL10627

 0.9 0.8 2.0 3.1 0.8 181 49.6 PM10

NL10644

 0.6 0.5 1.4 1.4 0.5 69 18.9 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 24: Key concentration values for nickel in 2018 (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 2018
component mean n
As 0.5 1
Cd 0.1 1
Ni 0.9 1
Pb 4.5 1
Table 25: Summary table for lead, arsenic, cadmium and nickel on PM10 filters in 2018 (in ng/m3)

2.9 Benzo(a)pyrene

Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations based on PM10 filter sampling for 2018 are given in the following table.

Key statistics for benzo(a)pyrene in 2018
mean1 P50 P98 max median n %
Rural Background

NL10444

 0.08 0.02 0.48 0.61 0.02 180 49.3
Urban Background

NL10418

 0.10 0.04 0.66 0.77 0.04 174 47.7
Rows where the text is greyed out indicates a data capture < 30%
1 Orange color indicates exceedance of the annual EU limit value
Table 26: Key concentration values for benzo(a)pyrene in 2018 (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 27: 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)