Air and Water Quality

Protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink isn't easy, but AEA has been helping Governments and businesses to do just that for nearly four decades

Doing it well means making accurate and rigorous pollutant measurements, developing detailed emissions inventories, modelling how the pollution will flow through the air and water, how it will change photo-chemically, how it will affect the populations it’s exposed to and, finally, ensuring that the public have access to the best information to inform them of their risks.

Reviewing, assessing and controlling these risks requires strategies and policies that take detailed account of all the steps in the chain of evidence, whether you’re in a business, in local or national Government or in an international institution.

Our world leading scientists and consultants can advise in every area, whether in policy, public information, assessment, measurement, modelling or exposure. In recognition of our achievements and expertise, AEA has for many years managed the UK’s National Air Quality Emissions Inventory and is the UK’s consultant on regional and continental ozone pollution, as well as operating the UK’s National Air Pollution Forecasting Service. We advise 250 UK and European local authorities on their air pollution problems and operate the pollution measurement networks of three EU countries. We advise hundreds of businesses on air pollution and also work closely with organisations such as BSkyB to deliver their daily air pollution news slot on Sky TV. We are the EU’s prime consultant on the revision of it’s entire emissions control policies, both under air quality management and the Kyoto Protocol/UNFCCC.

Understanding The Market Context

The control of risks from air and water pollution is driven both by regulatory controls imposed by local, national and international authorities, and by the need for businesses to demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility in environment. This is a highly complex field of work, as air and water pollutant flows are highly sensitive to initial conditions, non-local contributions and the interaction with terrain, hydrology and meteorology. Characterising emissions demands a detailed understanding of the underlying processes and their activity profiles, while poorly characterised sources or modelling systems will often mis-attribute, leading to regulatory penalties, or failed actions plans and policies.

Our Principal Services

AEA uniquely offers a complete suite of policy, advisory and implementation services on air and water, including emissions inventory development, environmental data systems, local and mesoscale modelling, assessment and forecasting, instrument calibration, monitoring network construction, operation and calibration, as well as regulatory policy advice and development. We also offer noise, odour and oil pollution assessment services.

Best in Class Resource Capability

We are unrivalled in our scientific expertise with 120 scientific, consulting and technical staff working on air quality alone, including world leaders in the areas of national air pollution assessment, exposure assessment, chemical modelling, inventory development and public information.

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