EarthSense, the air quality specialist is providing air quality services for Shropshire Council, which has launched a real-time pollution map of Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth.
Shropshire Council is using EarthSense’s air quality services to provide an interactive air pollution map for the general public. The map will deliver real-time information for particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth.
The recently announced web application will enable businesses and residents to identify local air quality levels, helping them to make informed decisions on methods of travel or alternative routes to reduce pollution exposure.
In total seven static Zephyr® sensors are being used. Four units have been deployed in Shrewsbury, two fitted to street furniture along a one-way street, one next to a roundabout on the A458 and one at the train station. Two units have been installed in Bridgnorth onto street furniture, one acting as a background unit and one installed at a congested junction within an air quality management area (AQMA). The sensors will determine real-time levels of NO2 and PM2.5 with an active sampling mechanism taking samples of the air every 10 seconds.
The Council is also using EarthSense’s MappAir® city model to provide a visual map of air quality levels throughout Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. The model will provide insights into large scale locations which are not monitored by Zephyr® sensors. The maps are available to view on the MyAir® web app where the public can also analyse and download air quality information.
EarthSense Managing Director, Tom Hall said: “Using Zephyr® measurements and modelling data from MappAir® means we’re able to provide Shropshire Council with real-time air quality levels for residents and businesses in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury. Our model combines Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model the flow and dispersion of pollution with Highways England data, weather and traffic data for insight into ambient air quality trends and behaviours.
“Shropshire Council is also using the MyAir® web app for the public to access information regarding air quality levels. By clicking on an area of interest, the web app provides an index between 0 - 70 for PM2.5 and 0 – 150+ for NO2 to communicate pollution concentrations between very low and extremely high for the UK. Users will also receive advice about how the current concentrations causes damage to health and how they can make small changes to reduce these risks. The web app enables the general public, particularly sensitive groups who may be more at risk, to make informed decisions to make a safer community for everyone,” continued Hall.
Shropshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Place and Planning, Gwilym Butler said: “The launch of this map is an important step forward in sharing real-time air quality data in high pollution areas in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury.
“Working with Earthsense to produce such a tool allows us to be open about where high pollution areas are, but also to show residents and businesses to enable them to make changes to the way they travel. I’m confident that wider access to these air quality maps will help us improve air quality together, and I’d like to thank Earthsense for producing them. Better knowledge of our local air quality brings greater understanding of the level of action which may be required in future to address the challenges faced.”