In the last few years people have become more aware of the effects of air pollution on their health and well being. Air pollution arises from a number of different sources and can be natural or manmade. The Environment and Health Department plays an important role in measuring air pollution and this measurement has now been carried out over many years.

In 1999 the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Air Pollution Monitoring Network was set up to co-ordinate the monitoring and reporting of air quality across the two counties. It was developed by the local authorities and Kings College London.

The network includes data from the networks 11 real-time analysers and more than 250 diffusion tubes and interpretation of the data. The network website can be found at: www.hertsbedsair.org.uk.

The site includes daily, weekly, monthly data and the networks annual reports.

Click here for the 2003 annual report for the network.

Air quality is now measured every minute of every day at the Councils monitoring station in Fleetville, St Albans. The following pollutants are measured at the site:

• Particulates (small smoke particles) (PM10)
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
• Ozone (O3)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)

View the last seven days of recorded data

The department has 35 monitoring sites to measure nitrogen dioxide levels across the district. Results are given for monthly periods and can be viewed by going to:
http://www.hertsbedsair.org.uk/hertsbeds/asp/DiffusionTubes.asp?dt=

(this site contains data for other Councils in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire)

Data for the following sites is available:

Nitrogen Dioxide is of potential concern to human health. At relatively low levels it can cause breathing difficulties and throat and eye irritation. At high concentrations more severe health effects may occur such as bronchitis. Nationally the two main sources of nitrogen dioxide are motor vehicles and power stations.

The Environment Act 1995 requires local authorities to review the quality of air within their areas. The reviews have to consider the current air quality and the likely air quality in the year 2005. If any of the objectives are not likely to met, the Council may need to declare the area affected as an "air quality management area". Within the air quality management area, action has to be taken in order to ensure that air quality meets the prescribed standards.

St Albans has just completed the second round of the review and assessment. The Updating Screening Assessment USA looked at the following pollutants, namely carbon monoxide, benzene, 1.3 butadiene, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. The conclusions of the USA were that all standards would be met except for nitrogen dioxide.

The Detailed Assessment looked at nitrogen dioxide at the four locations highlighted in the USA. This concluded that there was a possibility that levels of pollutants would be exceeded and that 2 new Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA’s) would need to be declared.

Air Quality Updating and Screening Assessment for St Albans City and District Council - July 2006

Air Quality Review and Assessment - Detailed 2004

Air Quality Review and Assessment - Stage 4

Air Quality Updating and Screening Assessment for St Albans 2003

Air Quality Action Plan December 2003

Action Plan

Air Quality - Annual Progress Report 2005