The City of London Corporation has been monitoring air quality in the Square Mile since the late 1960s. Monitoring initially focused on sulphur dioxide and black smoke in response to the introduction of the Clean Air Acts.
The City is an Air Quality Management Area for nitrogen dioxide and fine particles (PM10) so monitoring now focuses on these pollutants.
The City of London monitor air quality at a number of locations. Annual air quality data is provided in the air quality annual reports.
Calibration of air quality monitoring equipment
Continuous analysers
Continuous analysers are used to monitor air quality at:
- Sir John Cass School, an urban background site
- Beech Street, a roadside site
- Upper Thames Street, a roadside site
- Walbrook Wharf, Upper Thames Street, a roadside site
- Senator House, Queen Victoria Street, an urban background site
- Farringdon Street, a roadside site
Data from Senator House, Walbrook Wharf Foyer, Upper Thames Street. Beech Street PM10 and Sir John Cass School form part of the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). The LAQN was formed in 1993 to co-ordinate and improve air pollution monitoring in London and is operated and managed by the Environment Research Group at King's College London.
Nitrogen dioxide diffusion tube
Diffusion tubes
Diffusion tubes are used to monitor nitrogen dioxide at:
- Speed House, Barbican Centre, urban background site
- St. Batholomew's Hospital, urban background site
- St Dunstan's Church, Fleet Street, roadside site
- St. Andrew's Church, Queen Victoria Street, roadside site
- Guinness Trust Estate, Mansell Street, roadside site
Long term data from the diffusion tubes is included in the annual reports.