MONITORING & METERING FEATURE
EXAMINING THE issue of air pollution
Although invisible, a wide variety of gases are toxic, with the finest particulates able to travel deep into our lungs. Instrumentation is therefore essential for monitoring levels, identifying pollution threats and to provide an opportunity for informed political decisions, as Air Monitors explains
O (NO2
n 2nd November the High Court ruled in a case brought by ClientEarth, that
the UK Government’s plans to tackle air pollution are illegal. The judgement said: ‘The Secretary of State fell into error by adopting too optimistic a model for future emissions.’ Clearly, going forward there will be a greater emphasis on monitoring. ClientEarth focused on Nitrogen Dioxide ), a harmful gas which accumulates
in towns and cities, and is largely derived from diesel vehicles. According to the Government, NO2
is responsible for the
premature deaths of many thousands of UK citizens every year. ‘Cleaner’ vehicles should be improving urban air quality dramatically, but monitoring has demonstrated that real-world emissions are much higher (around six times higher) than laboratory tests, so there has never been a greater focus on air quality monitoring instrumentation. In July, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched plans for the: “toughest crackdown on the most polluting vehicles by any major city around the world… and to take urgent action to help end London’s public health emergency and clean up the capital’s filthy air.” In October, air quality was one of
the major considerations in the government’s deliberations over London’s airport capacity.
MONITORING The BBC’s Newsnight programme ran a feature on air quality on the eve of ClientEarth’s court case. The presenter cycled around London with one of Air Monitors’ AQMesh pods on his bike, with results showing spikes in NO2
that
exceeded the EU limit by an alarming amount. The programme also interviewed a former adviser to David Cameron who said there needs to be less reliance on modelling and more monitoring.
exceeded the EU limit by an alarming amount
During a BBC newsnight programme, a presenter cycled around London with an AQMesh pod attached to his bike. The results showed spikes in NO2
that
Air Monitors has been providing air quality monitoring technology for over 14 years. During that time, it has struggled to raise the issue of air quality in the media but, thanks in no small part to VW, air pollution is a hot topic and many are now aware that the air in many of our towns and cities is failing to meet EU limits. The company is responsible for servicing
much of the government’s network of air quality monitoring stations, which help provide daily regional information on air quality. However, this regional data is of limited value to individual members of the public, who need local data to let them know where the pollution hot-spots are – so that they can make decisions on where to travel or exercise, and which schools to choose, and even where to live. AQMesh is a lightweight, battery
powered ambient air quality monitor that transmits data to a dedicated website via the ‘cloud’. Readings are normally transmitted hourly and standard AQMesh pods measure the main pollutant gases (NO, NO2
and O3 ) in addition to
temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity. However, following successful trials, AQMesh can now include the measurement of dust and smoke (total particle count, PM2.5 and PM10). This is a very important development because the government’s own figures show 29,000 premature deaths in the UK from particle pollution alone. A key feature of the AQMesh technology is its ability to provide near real-time data via websites, so that relevant air quality data can be made available to those that need it quickly and simply.
AQMesh is a lightweight, battery powered ambient air quality monitor that transmits data to a dedicated website via the ‘cloud’
THE PROBLEM WITH AIR POLLUTION In February this year, the Royal College of Physicians published a report warning that around 40,000 UK deaths are attributable to air pollution annually. In the UK, this costs more than £20 billion every year. The report recommended: ‘Air pollution monitoring by central and local government must track exposure to harmful pollutants in major urban areas and near schools. These results should then be communicated proactively to the public in a clear way that everyone can understand.’ AQMesh was developed to provide the flexibility required to monitor in the way prescribed by the Royal College of Physicians. These instruments do not replace reference monitoring stations but they provide accurate reliable data from instruments that can be quickly and easily installed in almost any location at a fraction of the capital and operational costs of reference stations.
Air Monitors T: 01684 857530
www.airmonitors.co.uk INSTRUMENTATION | NOVEMBER 2016 19
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