We carry out monitoring and assessment of air quality within the Borough.
We are required by law to assess the quality of air to determine if it is likely to meet the standards set out in the Government’s Air Quality Objectives. These objectives relate to seven pollutants:
- carbon monoxide
- benzene
- 1,3 - butadiene
- lead
- nitrogen dioxide
- sulphur dioxide
- particulate matter
Air quality has been monitored for a number of years and we are satisfied that the air quality objectives are being met for all the pollutants except for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant largely linked to road traffic vehicle emissions. For more information on the significance of nitrogen dioxide as a pollutant, visit Gov.uk: Air quality.
The air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide is a yearly average of 40ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre). The Council submits an annual report to Defra to inform Government of the outcome of our monitoring. For more information on current levels of pollutants including data and reports from Brentwood, view the Brentwood Air Quality Annual Status Report 2023 (PDF).
For more information, email envhealth@brentwood.gov.uk.