A Call from ITV News Central
Leicester was highlighted as one of the most challenged areas in terms of air quality in the East Midlands, and we were asked by ITV News Central to illustrate the problem and offer some suggestions for solutions.
On the morning of 11th February, our Technical Director, Prof. Roland Leigh and our Data Scientist, Jordan White met with ITV News Central reporter, Gareth Owen as part of a feature on air pollution around GP surgeries. for the 6pm news.
Measuring Pollution with Mobile Zephyr® Sensors
Equipped with two Zephyr® air quality sensors, Roland and Jordan met with Gareth at a busy junction along the A50 in Leicester and provided insights into the local NO2 concentrations.
We started measurements after the morning rush hour, at about 10:30am. Although we missed the peak concentrations in the day, it was a cold and still February morning, which generally results in higher measurements of NO2.
The Results
With two Zephyr® sensors carried around the junction, measurements were taken at a bus stop, waiting to cross the main road, crossing the road and at several points near shops. A time-series of measurements from both units is shown below, with a clear peak of about 400µg/m3 of NO2 measured at the bus stop.
This measurement, clearly replicated in both units, was correlated with the departure of a bus and highlights the potential for high-levels of pollutant exposure for short periods. This also highlights the need for bus emissions to be carefully managed with the introduction of cleaner technologies.
A Visual Insight to Air Pollution
We’ve produced a YouTube video to highlight the hotspots at the junction and the context within the East Midlands.
The Zephyr® measurements are plotted on GoogleEarth using our standard facility available to all our customers with the “download kml” button on the user dashboard. This highlights the areas where higher concentrations are found and offers unique insights from a short deployment of a sensor.
For more information on how the Zephyr® can help identify pollution hotspots in your area, please contact us today! Email us at info@earthsense.co.uk or call us on 0116 296 7460.