Chris Rush, IAQM Chair

Tim Bevington & Stephen Stratton, Principal Consultants, Ricardo

Abstract
Ricardo is applying its world-leading expertise in air quality measurement to enable local authorities across Greater Manchester to monitor the contribution to air pollution from wood burning stoves, raise public awareness of its risks, and reduce its impact on people’s health. On behalf of TfGM, 43 low-cost sensors (LCS) are deployed across 41 monitoring locations, monitoring PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NO, CO and O3. Ten of the 43 devices also monitor CO2. Ricardo’s LCS QA/QC methodology, through co-location correction scaling and data ratification, will provide an improved particulate measurement uncertainty. Three further sensors are continuously co-located at a reference site to understand on-going performance. Four LCS are installed in each borough, with two in locations with a high number of wood burning stoves and two in locations where domestic burning is known to be less likely. This will enable researchers to better understand the different concentrations of air pollution. 

Dr Helen Venfield, Associate Director, Bureau Veritas

Abstract
Whilst the predominant source of ammonia emissions in the UK is agriculture (2022 NAEI), there is an increasing body of research considering emissions of the pollutant from road traffic sources.
Long-term trends in pollutant concentrations are recorded in rural and remote locations across the UK by the United Kingdom Eutrophying & Acidifying Network (UKEAP). The UKEAP network includes a limited number of roadside monitoring locations.

This talk will consider the availability of ammonia monitoring data in the urban environment, and what can be learned from this.

Emma Haymer, Principal Consultant, Bureau Veritas

Christelle Escoffier, Senior Associate, Hoare Lea

Abstract
Although in many areas addressing improvement of air quality contribute to reduction of carbon emissions, there are situations where supporting Net Zero Carbon (NZC) in the build environment can be challenging for air quality, especially in the indoor environment.

Where can we go further in our air quality management approaches to ensure all aspects of carbon emissions reductions have been considered.

This presentation will look into project examples where solutions beneficial for air quality are supporting achieving NZC.

Sir Stephen Holgate, MRC Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, Southampton General Hospital

Douglas Booker, Lecturer in Indoor Air, University of Leeds
Kathryn Wooley, Associate Director, Buro Happold
Prof. Christian Pfrang, Chair of Atmospheric Science, University of Birmingham

Michael Bull, Director, Michael Bull & Associates Ltd

This presentation will present some philosophical musing and challenge three beliefs or methods used in air quality assessment:
1. Do we know that air pollution is harmful?
2. Is there bias in diffusion tube measurement?
3. Is model verification nonsense?

It will question what we often accept as “the truth” and suggest that we should be more careful with some commonplace methods and statements about air quality. The talk will build on Michael’s presentation at last year’s RTCA.

Chris Rush, IAQM Chair

Marta O’Brien, Research Scientist, University of Reading & Emma Rigler, Senior Air Quality Consultant, Stantec

Abstract 
The Clean Air Living Matters – Exploring Reading DEFRA-funded collaborative programme aims to drive behavioural change and deliver air quality education to local schools in Reading Borough Council. 

The programme showcases day-to-day solutions to pupils, parents and the wider community to improve air quality and reduce exposure. The CALM:ER team utilise various approaches to engage with pupils, including exploring air quality using handheld low-cost devices. Low-cost sensors have also been used to map pollution in and around schools, all of which supports parts of the curriculum and encourages the development of various STEM skills, such as critical thinking and data analysis. 

Bruno Agochukwu, Offshore Environmental Advisor, Scottish Power Renewables

Abstract
The pace and scale of Neom’s project delivery required new approaches to environmental compliance including environmental air quality monitoring since traditional monitoring methods faced issues with perspective; scalability and big data analytics. To ensure air emissions were within the allowable limits by the Saudi environmental regulator, Neom deployed a network of solar powered mobile air quality sensors installed on tripods. This system formed part of a constellation of technologies underpinned by AI to provide end-to-end air quality environmental compliance management for large scale complex construction projects.

Anna Savage, Air Quality Technical Director, AECOM

Abstract
AECOM has been working with Ipswich Borough Council over the last year to investigate levels of PM10 and PM2.5 associated with domestic burning.

We have been monitoring within and outside homes with log burners or open fires, near a pottery kiln, and close to bonfires. The study has demonstrated changes in peak and average concentrations when using different burning materials, including approved Defra logs, coal, treated and untreated wood and garden waste as well as with different methods of cleaning. The results are being communicated via local social media campaigns to encourage residents to consider best practices to reduce particulates from burning.

Aamer Raza, Chief Scientist, Environment Agency

Yasmin Mueller, Consultant, Air Quality and Emissions, AECOM (from work by Duncan Urquhart)

Abstract 

It is recognised the average speed and flow-based approach to vehicle emissions calculations cannot accurately represent short-term emissions events associated with queuing and congestion. This can lead to a poor estimation of emissions in congested networks and an inability to assess road schemes or transport strategies that may result in long- or short-term air quality changes from transient changes to congestion and traffic flows. We demonstrate how microsimulation traffic modelling with a transient emissions model enables a sensitivity analysis of emissions at a high resolution, and so ensuring that the subtle behavioural effects of on vehicles emissions can be captured. 

Sam Pollard, Senior Associate Director, Jacobs

Abstract
Essex County Council and Colchester City Council have operated a network of air quality and optical traffic sensors in Colchester City centre over a two-year period.  Detailed analysis has since been undertaken of this data (using Openair) to understand the causes of elevated pollutant concentrations in this area.  For example, by combining the air quality and traffic data obtained, it has been possible to estimate the influence of different vehicle types and movements by direction on measured NO2 concentrations.  The presentation would describe the monitoring and assessment methodology employed and the results obtained, and share lessons learned. 

Noel Nelson, Clean Air Senior Supplier, Met Office

Abstract
Clean Air Wave 1 funding enabled the production of a UK Air Quality Reanalysis, providing hourly gridded pollution fields for the period 2003 to 2019. The Air Quality Data Portal (AQDP) has now also been developed by the Met Office to allow users an easy route to access and interact with this dataset. The AQDP is a publicly available website, built using Esri software and uses ArcGIS mapping tools. Reanalysis data uploaded onto the website has been aggregated into monthly time periods (although some short examples of hourly data are included), with both gridded and spatially aggregated regional data made available for download via a data catalogue functionality. Data is provided in ArcGIS feature layer format but can be converted to other formats such as csv or shape files for download. Users can view data in ArcGIS online maps, into which layers can be added from other datasets, for example population or health data to allow easy comparison.

Aggregated reanalysis data can be visualised and interacted with using applications built using ArcGIS online tools. These include the ability to view:

1. timeseries for the entire reanalysis period at a specific, or a collection of grid points – this data can also be exported,
2. how the regional maps change over time,
3. filtering of maps by user defined values such as health impact limit values.

Educational content is also included on the AQDP, with story maps built using reanalysis data to describe features of air quality and science that will be of interest to a wide audience. Some maps and applications are included within these webpages to help explain the features and to allow the user to understand potential uses of the reanalysis data. These story maps include aspects such as pollutant emissions and the difference in air quality between urban and rural areas, alongside a more in-depth analysis of the August 2003 ozone episode and the April 2014 particulate matter episode.

The Air Quality Data Portal has been built with pre-existing software from Esri: this has allowed for quick development and should be simple to maintain. It is hoped that the AQDP will be useful to a wide range of users to allow them to gain greater understanding of air quality and make use of the benefits of the Clean Air UK Air Quality Reanalysis.

Eleri Patterson Hughes, Air Quality Consultant, Ricardo

Sam Murphy, Senior Consultant, Hydrock

Irena Velcheva, Graduate Air Quality Consultant, Buro Happold

Paul Eaton, Senior Consultant, DustScanAQ

Grace Staines, Technical Advisor, Port of London Authority

Chris Rush, IAQM Chair
Claire Holman, IAQM President

IAQM guidance announcements, changing membership requirements, and the future of IAQM

Presented by Claire Holman, IAQM President