Monitoring Pollution

Most pollutants are invisible to the eye and are often odourless.

If you can’t identify and quantify the pollution around you it’s impossible to mitigate its effects.

National bodies now monitor sites around the country, and in particular in city centres, for some of the major pollutants using strategically placed scientific sensors. The data is often available to the public and commonly identifies levels of PM₂.₅ , nitrogen dioxide, ozone and pollen. Generic advice and warnings are supplied when levels exceed safety thresholds.

Recently, advances in technology have seen developments in low cost consumer monitors, offering to provide similar services and information to individuals.  Potentially enabling you to measure and react to pollution wherever you are – in the home, workplace, car or outdoors, it’s now possible to gain actionable information about the air around you.

Personal air monitoring allows you to not only assess the air quality you, your family or your employees are exposed to and to act upon it, but, just as importantly, to see the effects of any solutions you employ to improve the air.  Because air pollution is invisible it’s easy to forget about it, even when you’re alert to the dangers.  An air pollution monitoring solution will remind you to remain vigilant long after any initial action you may take.

At Plain Air we know the importance not just of taking steps to reduce exposure but of continuing to use those steps effectively in the years ahead.  Actually being able to see the effects of your actions is vital in maintaining a healthy environment and in ensuring any investment you make in reducing pollution doesn’t go to waste.

However, a word of warning. There are few standards in the world of personal air pollution monitors.  Some are useless and promise far too much.  None can ever be entirely accurate– there’s a reason scientific versions cost many thousands of pounds and need regular recalibration, but the best of them can be a valuable tool in the search for cleaner air.

This is a developing field and we will research products that may benefit our followers. For more information see Solutions/Air Monitors