Benzene

Do benzene concentrations meet EU air quality standards?

Benzene concentrations in air have declined significantly since 2001, due to the phase-out of leaded petrol in January 2003 (while benzene content in leaded petrol was between six per cent and eight per cent, it is less than 1% in benzene containing lead replacement petrol). Between 2003 and 2004, the most significant decrease in benzene concentrations occurred at Fgura (42 per cent). In 2004, only Hamrun had an annual average of more than the 2010 EU limit, at just beyond the five microgrammes limit. However in terms of particular sites, Floriana/St. Anne Street recorded the highest benzene concentration at seven microgrammes, a considerable improvement on the worst 2003 benzene recording at Fgura/Hompesch Road (14.7 microgrammes). The differences between measurements on main roads and a few streets behind as in Floriana, indicate that air quality in heavily-trafficked and enclosed streets can be much worse than a few streets away.

The State of the Environment Report 2005 is a Mepa publication available on www.mepa.org.mt