The Air Quality Management Resource
Centre (AQMRC) undertakes a wide range of work varying from research
projects to consultancy. The group endeavours to maintain a common
theme of 'capacity building' within the work that we are involved
in. AQMRC is
recognised by peers and practitioners as the leading body for
research and practice in local air quality management.
We are always looking to develop new partnerships.
Please
contact us to discuss potential projects or for more
details.
The list below provides an indication of the major projects that we
are currently involved in along with others that have recently been
completed.
Defra
and Devolved
Administrations
Assessment of the Local
Authority’s Air Quality
Review and Assessment
Procedure
Click
here to view the Air
Quality Review and
Assessment Website which
AQMRC maintain on behalf
of Defra and the
Devolved
Administrations.
The
AQMRC carry out a number
of tasks related to the
Air Quality Strategy and
specifically Review and
Assessment of Local Air
Quality Management under
our 3rd consecutive contract
(in partnership with Air
Quality Consultants) to Defra and the UK
Devolved
Administrations.
The
principal component of
the project is for the
AQMRC to
carry out an independent
appraisal of air quality
Review & Assessment
reports sent by local
authorities to the
Secretary of State, the
Devolved Administrations
and the GLA as part of
the consultation
procedures required
under the British Environment
Act 1995 and Northern
Ireland Order 2002. The appraisal
is designed to assess
the adequacy of the
Review and Assessment
methodology and to
identify whether
any flaws in the
assessment cast doubt on
the local authorities’
decision on proceeding
to subsequent stage of
Review & Assessment or
not.
As
part of this role, the
AQMRC provides a
comprehensive supportive
service role for local
authorities, including a
helpdesk facility
(telephone and email)
for Air Quality Review
and Assessment and
ad-hoc support for
various government
bodies in relation to
their air quality
management duties, local authorities
for air quality Review &
Assessment and ad-hoc
support for various
government bodies in
relation to their air
quality management
duties. Consequently,
this project entails
maintenance of a UK wide
database to show the
progress of each local
authority with Review &
Assessment.
The
project gives an
opportunity to
communicate air quality
matters to local
authority practitioners.
AQMRC has provided a
wide range of
training
courses and seminars
dealing with different
aspects of Local Air
Quality Management (LAQM)
e.g. assessments and
consultation, action
planning, developing
strategies. This support
for the practice of LAQM
has been undertaken in
parallel with a
significant research
effort into the process
of the production of LAQM
and led to 8
completed PhDs and 4
current PhDs being undertaken
within the group on the
subject to date and high
quality publications in
refereed journals.
Conference
presentations have been
produced to a wide range
of audiences including
local authorities, the
Environment Agency,
Highways Agency,
academics, consultancies
and other professionals
in the field of air
quality.
Local Air Quality
Management – Action
Plans
The
AQMRC has assisted a
range of Local
Authorities with action
planning as part of the
LAQM Review and
Assessment Process.
Some
examples include:
City of York Council
Gravesham Borough
Council
Leicester City Council
Bath and North East
Somerset Council
Taunton Dean Borough
Council
Air Quality
Strategies
In
addition to helping
Local Authorities with
their statutory AQ
responsibilities, we
also provide assistance
with supplementary
tasks, such as the
development of Local and
Regional Air Quality
Strategies. Previous
projects have included:
Running workshops on the
hows and whys of AQ
strategies in order to
encourage
cross-departmental and
regional support
Scoping of both Local
and Regional Air Quality
Strategies
Examples of Air Quality
Strategy documents
include:
Bristol City Council Air
Quality Strategy scoping
report
Gloucestershire Air
Quality Strategy
Local Transport Plans
AQMRC
assist Local Transport
Planning professionals
in identifying air
quality requirements for
Local Transport Plans,
including assistance
with setting targets and
trajectories.
South Africa National
Framework
AQMRC
in partnership with the
Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research
(CSIR –
www.csir.co.za), the
University of Kwa-Zulu
Natal (UKZN –
www.ukzn.ac.za) and
the Norwegian Institute
for Air Research (NILU –
www.nilu.no) were
successful in winning a
bid to deliver the first
National Framework on
Air Quality for the
Department of
Environmental Affairs
and Tourism in South
Africa. This
prestigious project
further enhances the
international reputation
of AQMRC in
disseminating research
and delivering knowledge
exchange in air quality
science and management.
The AQMRC are delighted
to be involved in such a
high profile project and
developing a successful
working relationship
with our accomplished
project partners. This
project gives us an
ideal opportunity to
utilise our experiences
in working with national
and international air
quality communities to
develop a challenging,
progressive but also
practical National Air
Quality Framework for
South Africa. The
South African National
Framework document
is now available online.
Improving Management and
Supporting Guidelines in
Air Quality in
Metropolitan Cities
(Athens, Bangkok and
Bristol) (September
2002-September 2004)
This project reviewed
and assessed the air
quality in the three
metropolitan cities in
order to identify the
extent of air pollution
problem and the
subsequent actions need
to be taken. As a
result, partners
produced best practice
guidance notes and an
action plan for
improving both air
quality and air quality
management.
Training and study
visits were organised
for local authority
officials as a means of
strengthening the
Environmental Quality
Management and Control
Division of Bangkok
Metropolitan
Administration, who are
gradually taking on
increasing Air Quality
Management
responsibilities from
the national
Government's Pollution
Control Department.
Integrated Urban
Governance and Air
Quality Management in
Europe
The
AQMRC was part of the
Management Committee on
the EU Framework
Integaire project.
Integaire is a network
of urban professionals,
scientists and networks,
which have an extensive
expertise in air quality
management. It was
established in March
2002 under the key
action "City of Tomorrow
and Cultural Heritage"
of the European Fifth
Framework research
programme and aims at
improving urban air
quality and assessment
by developing
recommendations on urban
governance and on
integration of this
specific matter into
other policy areas.
The project carried out
a survey of air quality
management practice
across Europe and
consisted on 10 partner
cities, 4 European
research centres, and
the European city
network
Eurocities.
The project was regarded
as highly successful by
the European Commission,
particularly with regard
to two reports submitted
to them via the
Clean Air For Europe
programme (CAFÉ).
Design and
Implementation Support
Tools for Integrated
Local Land Use
Distillate is one of 14
research programmes
funded under the UK
Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research
Council's overarching
research programme on
the development of a
Sustainable Urban
Environment. AQMRC
were a partner in this
project. The AQMRC
worked alongside the
The Centre for
Environment and Planning
at UWE with a large
number of case-study
partners in both the
local government and
transport sectors to
examine the barriers
that prevent sustainable
transport schemes to be
fully integrated into
current transport and
land-use planning
policies.
Governance for
Sustainability
AQMRC
have joined Governance
for Sustainability (G-FORS),
a three year research
project which brings
together EURA members.
G-FORS is an F6 funded
project under priority 7
- Citizens and
Governance in a
Knowledge-Based Society.
It runs until January
2009 and brings together
12 partners from 10
European countries.
The
G-FORS team will develop
an innovative analytical
model for the study of
governance for
sustainability, focusing
on the synergy between
new governance modes and
different forms of
knowledge, taking into
account the rapid
changes in the knowledge
society. For this
purpose, G-FORS will
identify a range of
different forms of
knowledge and analyse
how these different
forms of knowledge may
interact in the context
of particular governance
arrangements to produce
`reflexive knowledge'
and contribute to a more
legitimate understanding
of sustainability.
G-FORS
will help shape the
European Research Area
by developing links with
other projects on
similar themes across
Europe and developing a
systematic dissemination
strategy to end-users at
all levels of
government, whilst
adding to our knowledge
of the interaction
between modes of
governance, knowledge
and broadened
participation.
Regional Groups
As part of our work assisting local authorities in the Southwest, the AQMRC
helps co-ordinate the Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset Environmental
Protection Committee. Further information regarding our involvement in regional
air quality management and environmental protection can be seen
here or on the local
authorities' websites.
Consultation
as Science
Communication? The case
of Local Air Quality
Management
AQMRC, along with
partners from the
UWE Science
Communication Unit,
and
University of Hull,
undertook an
ESRC funded project,
investigating the
nature, scope and
effectiveness of local
government Local Air
Quality Management
consultation approaches.
The project aimed to
develop a model of
communication process
used by local
authorities in
discharging their air
quality duties and
responsibilities; hence
devising a generic model
suitable for application
to other environmental
protection consultation
exercises. The
final deliverable of
this project is
"Steps to Better
Practice: Guidance for
Local Authorities on
Local Air Quality
Management Consultation".
Mediating Consultation -
private sector
consultancies engagement
in LAQM
Building upon the
outcomes of this highly
successful consultation
project, AQMRC and the
UWE Science
Communication Unit
have recently been
awarded a new research
grant under the ESRC
impacts grant scheme.
The project is entitled
“Mediating Consultation
- private sector
consultancies engagement
in LAQM” and will be
completed in 2008.
Environmental
Exposure to Endotoxin Emissions from Commercial Composting
Activities
In partnership with
Cranfield
University, AQMRC and the
Centre for Research in Biomedicine at UWE, Bristol
have recently embarked upon a research project regarding
endotoxin emissions from commercial composting. Bioaerosols are airborne particles of
microbial, plant or animal origin and may be thought of
as "organic dust". There is a growing recognition
amongst scientists that there are potential health risks
associated with inhalation of bioaerosols, including infections and irritations of the
respiratory system. There is evidence that bioaerosols
are generated at some waste facilities and therefore
scientific research is needed to find the best way of
managing these facilities to minimise health risks to
the people who work there and also people living nearby.
This project aims to develop new knowledge of a specific
bioaerosol component of concern known as endotoxin.
Endotoxin is a chemical produced by certain bacteria.
It is well known that endotoxins can cause lung damage
if inhaled. What is not known is the extent of the
risk to the public from endotoxin released from
composting facilities. This project aims to find out
how much endotoxin is released from composting
facilities, how far it will travel and whether the
concentrations found in air from compost facilities can
harm the health of people living close to these
facilities. For further information on this
project please contact Dr Enda Hayes email:
enda.hayes@uwe.ac.uk or telephone
+44 (0)117 32 83825.
HERDA-SW - "Development of Training Materials on Air
Quality and Carbon Management for Air Quality
Professionals in the South West Region"
The Air Quality Management Resource Centre (AQMRC)
receiving an award from the Higher Skills Development
Fund in April 2008 for the “Development of Training
Materials on Air Quality and Carbon Management for Air
Quality Professionals in the South West Region”.
The project seeks to develop training materials on the
subjects of air quality and carbon management to meet
the higher level skills needs of air quality
professionals who are employed in Local Authorities and
Environmental Consultancies in the South West Region.
These will be delivered through an innovative blended
learning approach involving online learning and short
course provision offering both CPD certificate for
professional body purposes and credits to be accumulated
towards a UWE higher degree qualification.
A poster of
this research was recently presented at the Sustainable
Energy and the Environment Research Showcase at Bath
University. For further details please contact either Jo
Barnes email:
jo.barnes@uwe.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)117 32
81626.
An Independent Review of Monitoring Measures Undertaken
in Neath Port Talbot in Respect of Particulate Matter
(PM10) (2009)
Air Quality Management Resource Centre (AQMRC),
University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE) was
appointed by the Welsh Assembly Government to undertake
an exciting project entitled ‘An Independent Review of
Monitoring Measures Undertaken in Neath Port Talbot in
Respect of Particulate Matter (PM10). This
project provided an ideal opportunity for AQMRC to
showcase their skills in liaising and communicating with
multiple and varied stakeholders while critically
reviewing air quality documents and managing, analysing
and interpreting substantial datasets. The result was a
collection of independent documents which presented this
extensive data in a logical format to assist various
stakeholders and interested parties in the comprehension
of a complex subject. The project aims were to:
-
Provide an independent amalgamation and review of
the monitoring, modelling, source apportionment and
atmospheric particle characterisation work
undertaken in respect of PM10 pollution
in the Neath Port Talbot area since 2000;
-
Draw upon the projects undertaken by, and
experiences of, relevant stakeholders including
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC),
contracted consultants, the Welsh Assembly
Government, the Environment Agency Wales (EAW), the
Port Talbot Steelworks site operators and several
university researchers;
-
Provide advice to the Welsh Assembly Government on
further measures to pinpoint sources of particulate
matter within the area; and
-
Assist the Welsh Minister’s understanding of the
issues and implementation of actions in the affected
area to ensure that concentrations of PM10
attain the air quality standards as set out in the
Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2007.
The project contained two key pieces of work including a
review of all air quality documents relating to air
quality in Port Talbot and an analysis of all available
air quality and meteorological data for Port Talbot. Due
to the extensive datasets available, it was decided that
Openair /R would provide an ideal environment in
which to manage and analyse the data – this included
spatial analysis, temporal analysis and an analysis of
exceedence days and hours >50µg/m3. The seven
main recommendations from the study were:
-
Better use of available data in Neath Port Talbot
Council Review and Assessment Reports;
-
Creating an emissions database and undertaking a new
dispersion modelling study;
-
Undertaking new chemical analysis of particulates in
the area;
-
Updating the local authority Air Quality Action
Plan;
-
Better utilisation of the Welsh Assembly
Government’s Short Term Air Quality Action Plan;
-
Further information on agreed courses of action
following the Environment Agency Wales PM10
Permit Review and Neath Port Talbot Council Corus
Permit Review; and
-
Additional analysis of data.
AQMRC would like to thank all of the stakeholders who
provided data, commentary and advice during this
project. The reports can be downloaded from the
Welsh Assembly website.
|
