The Environment Act 1995 requires local authorities to periodically review and assess the local air quality
against the air quality objectives contained in the Air Quality Regulations. Objectives have been set for:

Where air quality monitoring suggests that there is a risk of exceeding an air quality objective, we have to carry out a Detailed Assessment to investigate whether the objective will be exceeded. If we find that an objective will not be met by the due date, we would have to designate an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and take action at a local level to ensure that air quality in the area improves. This whole process of continually assessing air quality is known as 'local air quality management' or LAQM.

 

Air quality in East Hampshire is generally good.  One small AQMA has been declared in the area the junction of the A325 High Street with Chalet Hill in Whitehill Bordon.

 

The main source of air pollution in our area comes from vehicles using roads. Air quality monitoring is carried out to ensure that objectives in the Air Quality Regulations are not exceeded and local residents' health is not put at risk by excessive pollution levels.

East Hampshire District Council operates one monitoring station in Bordon to undertake continuous air quality monitoring. Results from the Bordon air quality station is available on an external website hosted by Casella ETi at:

 

 

The Bordon air quality station has been in its current location in Guadaloupe car park adjacent to the A325 and Chalet Hill junction since 2005. This large unit provides continuous data on NO_x, NO, NO₂ and other meteorological parameters.  Historically PM10 have also been monitored at this location. Information is fed back to the council and to Casella ETi who review the data.  The unit is regularly calibrated and serviced to ensure that all information collected is accurate and of a good quality.

 

 

 

Another unit was located in Petersfield at the crossroads of Dragon Street, Hylton Road and Sussex Road from 2005 to 2006.  This was a smaller monitoring station and monitored NO_x, NO and NO₂.  This station was removed in 2010 because previous surveys found air quality to be of a good standard in this location.  

In addition to the continuous air quality station, about 20 passive diffusion tubes are located across the district to monitor levels of nitrogen dioxide from road traffic vehicles. 

 

 

A nitrogen dioxide passive diffusion tube is a clear plastic tube open at one end and at the closed end a mesh is impregnated with a pollutant absorbing chemical. The diffusion tube collects the pollutant during the exposure period of usually one month and then is resealed and returned to a laboratory for analysis. We send our diffusion tubes to Gradko International in Winchester for analysing.

 

 

Diffusion tube monitoring of nitrogen dioxide started in East Hampshire when the Council joined the NO2 diffusion tube network. For information on when this network ran and the locations of diffusion tubes in East Hampshire, click on the lamp post above or here

 

 

For further information on air quality monitoring in East Hampshire, please contact us on 01730 234360 or email ehealth@easthants.gov.uk