Air quality: Science and research
Defra has an extensive programme of air quality science and research. This includes a number of monitoring networks that measure the level of pollutants in the air, modelling of the levels of air pollutants for complete UK coverage, and research to understand how the pollutants behave in the environment. European directives require air quality monitoring to:
- assess concentrations and determine compliance,
- to provide information on ambient air quality in order to help combat pollution and monitor long-term trends and improvements, and
- to provide the public with up-to-date information on concentrations of all regulated pollutants in ambient air.
For more information on air quality policy please see the Air Quality Strategy and European Directives
Defra has responsibility for managing outdoor air pollution to make sure that we are meeting the requirements of European Directives, to make sure that the air we breathe is of an acceptable quality, and to manage the effects of air pollution on the environment.
The Department of Health is responsible for researching the health effects of air pollution.
We should make an important distinction between emissions and concentrations of air pollutants. Emissions refer to the amount or level of pollutant release. They are generally expressed as tonnes emitted per year (or equivalent) and do not consider the composition of the air we breathe. Atmospheric concentrations of pollutants refer to the ambient levels of pollutants in the air. Unlike emissions figures which only tell us what is released into the atmosphere, atmospheric concentrations tell us to what degree pollutants are present in the air we breathe.
The National Atmospheric Emission Inventory (NAEI) provides an understanding of the key polluting sources. Monitoring determines the concentrations of the levels of pollutants in the environment.
In this section you can find out about:
- Emissions database
- The UK air quality monitoring networks
- Modelling of air pollution
- Vegetation and ecosystem research
- Communication of air quality information
For information about specific air pollutants please refer to the Air Quality Strategy.
Page last modified: 25 January 2010
Page published: 6 November 2009