Work of UWE Bristol academics features in Government report on air quality measurement

Two UWE Bristol academics have made contributions to an influential Government report on the measurement of air pollution.

Jo Barnes, Professor of Clean Air, and Dr Ben Williams, a Senior Research Fellow, submitted contributions to the New Opportunities for Particulate Measurements published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

Both researchers are part of UWE Bristol’s Air Quality Management Resource Centre and members of the Air Quality Expert Group, an expert committee of Defra.

Airborne particulate measurement science is a substantial area of research with new tools and techniques emerging all the time. The Government needs to regularly reassess where new measurement techniques might be able to provide additional insight to support national and local management of particulate measurement in the UK.

The report supported by Professor Barnes and Dr Williams reviews the state of technology for several possible measurement techniques, and highlights opportunities that Defra can consider to enhance existing measurement systems and provide additional insight.

The two UWE Bristol academics contributed several sections which were included in the final report. They covered microplastics, including the development of analysis techniques to assess microplastics in the air, and community/citizen science approaches. For their submissions, they drew on several projects that UWE Bristol has been involved in, including Slow the Smoke and Homes Under the Microscope.

Professor Barnes, Director of the Air Quality Management Resource Centre, said: “It is great to be involved in writing this important report feeding into policy impact and the future of the UK’s air quality research.”

The full report can be accessed on the Defra website.