The latest in air quality monitoring

Air Quality Management 2.0 leverages collaborative partnerships between different stakeholder groups — including communities, regulators, analysts, and technologies — to more effectively and sustainably fight air pollution.

Many urban areas struggle with air pollution due to the number and density of air pollutant sources in cities. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve cities' air quality, from establishing stringent air quality targets to enacting clean air zones, and innovative projects like Breathe London and Breathe Cities are paving the way for this work.

The summer season can impact air quality due to its high temperatures and weather patterns, which can not only increase the concentration of harmful air pollutants such as ground-level ozone but also degrade air quality and threaten human health through air stagnation, heat waves, drought, and an increased risk of wildfire.

Vehicle emissions significantly contribute to air pollution levels and emit a variety of pollutants known to be harmful to both human and environmental health. By implementing initiatives such as low-emission zones and encouraging the use of alternative forms of transport, we can reduce traffic-related air pollution.

While mining activities contribute significantly to air pollution levels, coupling real-time air quality monitoring data with more environmentally sustainable practices can help to reduce mining's impacts on both mining workers and surrounding communities.

Research shows that wildfire smoke can travel thousands of miles and, in addition to its well-known detrimental impacts on human health in the short term, may also have cumulative effects. Consequently, it is essential to establish a real-time air quality monitoring network to understand pollution exposure during wildfire season.

Poor air quality has been linked to a variety of detrimental economic impacts, especially related to healthcare expenditures, lost workdays, ecosystem damage, and decreased tourism. However, research also shows that the economic gain associated with improving the air outweigh these costs by a factor of 30, presenting clear support of air pollution mitigation action.

While construction can have a myriad of negative impacts on air quality and the climate, taking action by establishing dense air quality monitoring networks, implementing sustainable construction practices, and supporting increased regulation can help to minimize these effects on surrounding communities.

Our recent webinar highlights the innovative work of our partners that has been used to establish high-resolution air quality monitoring networks and collect, communicate, and forecast air quality information during wildfire season.

Sean Wihera, our VP of Business Development and Partnerships, joins us in conversation about his experience on the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC) working to advise on the export of environmental technologies.