Doncaster residents will now be able to receive up-to-date information on air quality across the Borough, thanks to a new air quality information service, launched on Clean Air Day 2022.
The data from the current monitoring stations available across the City will be made available from Doncaster Council’s webpage. The stations monitor outdoor air pollution around the clock — and will provide information in real time with assistance from air quality monitoring service, We Care 4 Air.
Visiting the Market Place Air Quality Monitoring Station to launch the initiative, Mayor Ros Jones said: “Tackling the climate emergency is one of our most important priorities as a council and I make no apologies for continuing to push for, and support, new ways we can help protect and enhance our environment. This includes improving the quality of the air we breathe.
“This data will allow residents accessible information on local air quality on a daily basis, and will be fully available in the next few weeks — please bear with us whilst we get the service fully operational.
“Whilst we can all take actions every day to help the climate, the public rightly expect their council to take a leading role on the climate agenda and this is a further positive step in creating a Safer, Stronger, Cleaner and Greener Doncaster for all.”
The council currently use the Monitoring Stations to monitor two airborne pollutants — nitrogen dioxide gas and airborne fine particles (also known as particulate matter). Nitrogen Dioxide gas is strongly associated with traffic emissions whilst airborne fine particles are typically emitted from a number of sources, including traffic, industry and residential areas — and can be so small that several thousand of them could fit on the full stop at the end of this sentence.
When concentrations of both the chemicals are raised, this can be linked to potential health effects — information on the actions to be taken should this happen can be found here.
The Council are continually working to improve the City’s air quality and have previously declared eight air quality management areas where nitrogen dioxide gasses can be found to be higher than other areas – these areas are typically close to busy roads. Air Quality Action Plans designed to reduce emissions are currently in place in these areas and they can be found here.
For further information, and to access the data – visit https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/environmental/air-quality-and-pollution-control
Header image showing an aerial view of The Minster Chruch of St George in Doncaster town ©teamjackson/AdobeStock
