Low NOx Boilers: Meeting London’s Air Quality Regulations for a Healthier Environment

If you’re looking to buy a new gas boiler for your home, it’s important to consider the environmental impact of your choice. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a harmful pollutant emitted by gas boilers during combustion, and they can contribute to poor air quality and respiratory problems. In the UK, there are regulations in place toContinue reading “Low NOx Boilers: Meeting London’s Air Quality Regulations for a Healthier Environment”

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality: The Pros and Cons of Adding Indoor Vegetation According to NASA’s Study on Air Purifying Plants

The Pros of Indoor Vegetation on Air Quality Indoor air quality is crucial for maintaining a healthy living environment, especially as people spend up to 90% of their lives indoors. Poor air quality can cause various health issues, including headaches, allergies, respiratory problems and is a long term risk factor in heart disease and manyContinue reading “Improve Your Indoor Air Quality: The Pros and Cons of Adding Indoor Vegetation According to NASA’s Study on Air Purifying Plants”

Going beyond compliance: Doing more with your data?

The Problem with the UK’s Air Quality Monitoring Network Air Quality Standards (AQS) are limits set by law for various pollutants to protect the public, especially those who are most vulnerable, from excessive pollution. However, there are no globally enforceable AQSs, and the UK’s AQSs are less strict than the non-binding World Health Organization (WHO)Continue reading “Going beyond compliance: Doing more with your data?”

The Air Quality Positive Approach: Key Takeaways for Developers

With the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone and decreasing emissions from the average vehicle, air quality across London is generally improving. As such, an ever-increasing area is becoming compliant with the UK’s National Air Quality Standards (AQSs) and other local targets. However, it is widely acknowledged that there are no safe levels for someContinue reading “The Air Quality Positive Approach: Key Takeaways for Developers”

Air Quality Assessments and the Planning Process

Air Quality Assessments and the Planning Process Air quality and odour assessments are often required by planning applications to ensure that the proposed development does not have an adverse impact on local air quality or create unacceptable levels of odour for nearby residents. In the UK, there are several types of planning applications, including: EachContinue reading “Air Quality Assessments and the Planning Process”

Odour and Noise Management Plans for Commercial Kitchens

Odour and Noise Management Plans for Commercial Kitchens Odour and noise management plans are required to ensure that businesses operate in a responsible and sustainable manner, and to minimize their impact on the environment and local communities. These plans are also needed to comply with relevant laws and regulations and to meet the expectations ofContinue reading “Odour and Noise Management Plans for Commercial Kitchens”

Why Indoor Air Quality can be worse than Outdoor Air Quality?

Indoor air quality is given less considerably consideration by the UK government and the media and, surprisingly, there are no air quality standards that protect members of the public from dangerous of pollutants, across all indoor environments. This is problem as indoor air quality can be worse than outdoor air, and often considerably so. ResearchContinue reading “Why Indoor Air Quality can be worse than Outdoor Air Quality?”

The Chief Medical Officer’s Report on Air Pollution: What could it mean for developers?

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, in his annual report published on 8th December 2022, set out that more must be done, and can be done, to improve air quality across the UK. The report’s executive summary begins by explaining that “air pollution affects us all” and that the mortality burden associated with airContinue reading “The Chief Medical Officer’s Report on Air Pollution: What could it mean for developers?”

Woodburning and Air Quality in the UK

This week marks the 70th anniversary of the Great Smog, a pollution event that engulfed London in a thick ‘pea-soup’ cloud of noxious gases. The pollution event was caused by calm, cold conditions coupled with the burning of coal and other solid fuels. Early estimates reported that more than 4,000 people died; however, recent researchContinue reading “Woodburning and Air Quality in the UK”

Bringing air pollution into the light: where can you find data about air quality?

You will take about 22,000 breaths today. That equates to an average of about 917 breaths per hour and 15 breaths per minute. For billions of people around the world every breath is exposing their bodies to increasing levels of air pollution, which may cause short term health effects (such as rashes, headaches, asthma attacks) orContinue reading “Bringing air pollution into the light: where can you find data about air quality?”