UK Critical Load Exceedance for Acidity and Nitrogen 2018-2020

1x1 km resolution data quantifying exceedances of acidity critical loads for eight habitats and nutrient nitrogen critical loads for thirteen habitats across the UK. The dataset was generated using 2018-2020 deposition data to assess risks to sensitive ecosystems from atmospheric pollution.

Use Cases

• Map spatial patterns of acidity critical load exceedance across eight habitat types to identify high-risk regions.
• Analyze nutrient nitrogen critical load exceedance across thirteen habitat types to prioritize emission reduction efforts.
• Correlate 1x1 km exceedance values with emission source locations to model pollution impact pathways.
• Assess temporal trends in Average Accumulated Exceedance (AAE) by comparing this 2018-2020 data with earlier periods.

Strengths

• High-resolution 1x1 km spatial data for the entire UK.
• Covers exceedance calculations for eight acidity-sensitive and thirteen nitrogen-sensitive habitats.
• Based on three years (2018-2020) of Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED) data.

Limitations

• No row or column count provided, limiting assessment of dataset size and structure.
• Data is static for a specific three-year period and may not reflect current conditions.
• Analysis requires understanding of specialized ecological metrics like Average Accumulated Exceedance (AAE).

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Calculated using UK 1x1 km Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED) data for 2018-2020.

Time Range

2018-2020

Freshness

Data reflects 2018-2020 conditions; metadata was updated in March 2026.

Geography

United Kingdom