Air Quality Review and Assessment
The Environment Act 1995 set out new responsibilities on local authorities to review the air quality in their areas and assess it against a set of national standards. These standards were subsequently published in the National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) with associated objectives. Where the air quality is likely to fail to reach the objectives in 2005, then the local authority must declare Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and formulate action plans to reduce pollution.
Air pollution has been monitored in Southampton since 1994 from a permanent City Centre Station at Six Dials Junction. This site is part of the DEFRA funded Automatic Urban and Rural Network. The ambient air is passed through very sensitive gas analysers which can detect levels of pollution as low as one part per billion.
The public can access hourly updated data from the Southampton Monitoring Station from the Uk Air Quality website (see link in right hand column).
The City Council has installed two air monitoring stations in 1999 to help identify pollution "hotspots". A permanent station has been established beside Redbridge Road at Redbridge Community School and a mobile trailer unit is currently deployed at Bitterne Road by Mays Carpets. In 2005 an automatic nitrogen dioxide analyser was installed in Onslow Raod, Bevois Valley.
40 Diffusion Tubes have also been deployed at various locations around the city to monitor Nitrogen Dioxide. Although not as accurate as the automatic gas analysers they provide a low cost method of assessing more sites to establish long term trends.
More Air Quality Monitoring Data/Forecasts are available on a Freephone Number: 0800 556677
and on Ceefax page 410-417 Teletext page 155
For an independent viewpoint on air quality issues contact National Society for Clean Air, 136 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1RG
Annual Air Quality Reports
Annual air quality reports for Southampton.
Annual NO2 Diffusion Tube Reports
Annual NO2 diffusion tube reports for Southampton.
Heavy metal monitoring at Netley, Southampton Water
During 1999/2000, the then DETR funded heavy metals monitoring at Netley, 2km downwind of the Esso Oil refinery at Fawley.
Monthly Summaries of Air Quality in Southampton
Monthly Summaries of Air Quality in Southampton
Last updated: 3 July 2008
