Introduction
Environmental Monitoring - Overview
NPL has been pioneering environmental measurements for over 25 years and has a comprehensive portfolio of expertise and measurement techniques designed to solve real life monitoring problems. NPL offers a complete range of solutions from long-term routine point sampling to state-of-the-art atmospheric surveys using remote sensing techniques such as differential absorption lidar. NPL's unique combination of staff and equipment make it one of the premier environmental measurement facilities in Europe. All measurements undertaken are of the highest quality and underpinned by accurate calibration techniques with traceability to international standards.
NPL undertake measurements for:
- Atmospheric research, and have taken part in a number of large scale international monitoring campaigns involving balloon, ground based and airborne instrumentation.
- Pollution monitoring including air quality, stack and fugitive emissions.
- Bespoke monitoring provision for industrial clients, for example long term boundary fence monitoring, sampling of emissions from bulk tanker operations and offshore measurements.
- Ground based monitoring of the stratosphere using FTIR.
- Monitoring diffuse sources such as landfill using open-path and remote sensing techniques including DIAL and FTIR.
In support of monitoring activities NPL can also offer services to:
- Develop and implement new measurement protocols.
- Research into novel techniques and instrumentation for pollution monitoring.
- Train local staff to carry out day-to-day monitoring functions.
- Develop monitoring protocols and methods – for example NPL developed a test plan for the Energy Institute to monitor speciated hydrocarbon emissions from refineries.
- Design and optimise fixed air quality monitoring networks.
- Combine monitoring with dispersion and atmospheric modelling.
- Negotiate with local authorities and the UK Environment Agency.
NPL staff are fully experienced in working in industrial and regulatory environments. Our stack emissions monitoring work is fully MCERTS compliant and we all our measurement staff are MCERTS level two qualified.
For further information on environmental measurements at NPL, please contact us.
For more detailed overview of our environmental monitoring capabilities, please select from the links below.
Introduction
- Air Quality refers to the levels of pollutants in air that are relevant to human health or ecosystems. The most important gaseous pollutants for human health effects are currently ozone and nitrogen dioxide. These are difficult both to control and predict because they are not directly emitted into the atmosphere, but form there through reactions between other gases.
- NPL’s work in atmospheric science, emissions monitoring and security covers a range of techniques and applications linked by the common theme of the measurement of chemical and biological compounds in the atmosphere.