Discussion and debate surrounding air quality and the effects of the exposure to air pollution has been ongoing for years. What has become apparent is that quantifying the impact of air pollution is key to understanding how to manage and mitigate the effect of air pollution on public health.
Detecting and monitoring air pollution provides valuable data that feeds into policy discussions at local, national, and global level. It is important to note that air quality is not the same everywhere.
Pollution is affected by local sources such as busy roads, industrial sites, construction zones and the energy demand of different locations.
Air quality can fluctuate on a daily basis, and this is why it is important that there is consistent detection and monitoring so we can assess and identify patterns that help us to predict and evaluate air quality across the UK.
Why Monitor and Detect Air Quality?
Detection of poor air quality is not only about monitoring pollution. It’s about ensuring that we all monitor the compliance with regulations and laws.
If governments continue to set standards, then there is an obligation on those who are responsible for emissions to accurately monitor them and take action to minimise and mitigate their pollution levels.
The collection of accurate data and detection also feeds in to enhances research and development of new pollution control technologies.
Developing strategies to minimise and mitigate air pollution benefits us all. Pollution is linked to a wide range of public health conditions including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Air pollution monitoring helps to identify high-risk areas which in turn facilitates specific health interventions to improve public health. According to the World Economic Forum, poor air quality is linked to over 8 million deaths globally.
Air Pollution – The Impact
Poor air quality affects every living thing, from people to plants. High particulate counts are inked to higher mortality rates and increased respiratory and cardiac illnesses. Air quality will inevitably impact desirability indexes related to locations and this in turn will have an impact on local economies and investment strategies.
As the awareness and understanding of air pollution continues to grow, so too does the demand for organisations to start monitoring air quality.
Local authorities, governments, public sector bodies and the private sector are already beginning to incorporate air quality considerations into their strategic planning and decision-making.
What are the benefits of acting NOW?
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Local authorities that have already started to monitor and implement air pollution reduction strategies will see their policies reap the benefits of having cleaner air.
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Investors will be keen to focus attention on areas with cleaner air.
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Organisations monitoring air pollution will be ahead of the game when it comes to accessing real time data and planning mitigation strategies.
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Monitoring air pollution will lead to greater measures to limit pollution, and this will lead to improved health, quality of life, and environmental protection.
Air Pollution and Disparities
The World Health Organisation has stated that disparities in air pollution are continuing to increase. This means that the poorest and vulnerable communities are most affected by poor air quality.
The recommendation coming from WHO is that policy-driven improvements are key to reducing air pollution.
Detection software not only ensures that organisations can accurately monitor air pollution, but they can use the data to enhance public awareness and establish priority actions for improving air pollution.
EMSOL technology is more than just experts with monitoring but about identifying the root cause of emissions and using this data analytics to plan emission reduction strategies. So, organisations can be on the front foot with any air pollution strategy.