Air Quality
As one of the world's biggest environmental health risks, protecting and enhancing air quality ensures people, ecosystems and communities can thrive.
Air quality is intrinsically linked to the climate crisis and therefore a holistic approach is key to providing a clean, healthy environment for all.
Emerging air quality science illustrates the synergies with the wider environment and its importance in decision making. Therefore, we must be proactive, innovative and collaborative to provide better indoor and outdoor air quality.
Growing evidence highlights an improved air quality environment promotes health and wellbeing. As such, the demand for air quality services throughout a project’s lifecycle is rising and the best results are achieved through early engagement with an air quality specialist.
Our experienced team of Air Quality consultants are well versed in assisting clients with air quality concerns to achieve positive outcomes. We operate across the built environment, from small local residential schemes to major mixed-use, commercial and industrial developments.
Working in sectors including residential, retail, commercial, smart energy, infrastructure and transport, our specialists add value to developments by aiding the design of cost-effective solutions, creating mitigation strategies and providing expert support and guidance.
Features and benefits of our service include:
- Simplifying air quality.
- Detailed concept and design advice.
- Detailed atmospheric dispersion modelling of a diverse range of pollutants and sources.
- A tailored approach to resolving odour issues.
- Construction and air quality monitoring.
What you can expect from our air quality specialists
Our team supports local authorities to understand, measure and address air pollution across the towns and cities in their jurisdiction.
We operate across the built environment, from concept design through to construction and operation.
This collective experience spans small local residential schemes to major mixed-use, commercial and industrial developments.
At a masterplanning level our early input helps with scheme design to support health and wellbeing for future site users and the existing local environment. Air Quality Assessments and the associated dispersion modelling and monitoring supports EIA and planning submissions.
Determine pollutant concentrations at building facades through detailed dispersion modelling or site specific air quality monitoring to inform the ventilation strategy in line with the Building Regulations.
Contractors and site-management companies have a responsibility to deliver acceptable standards of environmental performance dust as they carry out critical demolition and construction works. We help demolition and construction companies fulfil their legal obligations, comply with environmental regulations, and enhance their ESG credentials through our construction dust risk assessments, and ongoing monitoring programmes.
Supported by our dedicated air quality monitoring team, our air quality monitoring services include:
- Pre-construction baseline dust and air quality surveys.
- Design and implementation of monitoring campaigns.
- Purchase and rental of air quality monitoring equipment.
- Installation, management, maintenance, servicing and calibration of air quality monitoring equipment.
- Preparation of air quality monitoring compliance reports.
- BPM site audits and complaint investigation.
The Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPRs), require operators of regulated facilities to obtain a permit. We provide a range of services to assist clients in fulfilling their responsibilties under the EPR from an advisory role to completing the full process on behalf of our clients.
Against the backdrop of the World Health Organisation revised standard for a range of pollutants based on, Local Authorities are under increasing pressure to improve monitoring, provide members of the public and stakeholders data access to allow informed decisions to improve air quality.
Our dedicated air quality monitoring team has a track record of supporting Local Authorities with the operation of their monitoring networks with services including:
- Design and implementation of monitoring campaigns.
- Purchase and rental of air quality monitoring equipment.
- Installation, management, maintenance, servicing, and calibration of air quality monitoring equipment.
- Data management, storage and user access solutions.
Stack monitoring is often carried out on industrial processes where site specific pollutant emissions are required. Our team provides MCERTS accredited services to monitor all regulated pollutants to assist in clients meeting their environmental requirements.
Good indoor air quality can be defined as breathable air with no known contaminants at harmful concentrations and it is essential to protect the health and comfort of building occupants both residential and non-residential. Our air quality consultants can provide the Indoor Air Quality Plan and associated post-construction (pre-occupancy) testing to achieve BREEAM, WELL and DREAM Air Quality credits.
Odour is a mixture of chemicals which produce different smells. Depending on the offensiveness of the smell and the sensitivity of the receptor, a smell has the potential to cause an adverse effect. The likelihood of an adverse reaction is dependent on factors known as FIDOL (Frequency, Intensity, Duration, Offensiveness and Location). As the magnitude of these FIDOL factors increases the adverse reaction can increase from detection of the odour through annoyance and nuisance stages and ultimately complaint action.
Our air quality team have experience in a diverse range of odour projects throughout the planning, permitting and design stages. Our bespoke odour services include:
- Olfactory surveys by qualified specialist (with known acuity tested in laboratory against BSEN 13725:2003 to reference material n-butanol).
- Odour dispersion modelling.
- Odour risk assessments;
- Kitchen odour risk assessments.
- Odour management plans.
