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Air quality monitoring and data

See the air quality results for today.

These results are for the continuous monitoring in the borough. Our mobile unit was stolen in August 2020 and we are hoping to replace it with a site in Richmond town centre.

The most recent annual bias-adjusted results for the 64 long-term diffusion tubes which record nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across the borough can be found in our latest annual status report. The use of additional diffusion tubes is detailed below.

These are the provisional quarterly air quality results for 2022 for our borough NO2 diffusion tubes. Please note these are provisional results and will be QA/QC'd and biased adjusted for further accuracy following ratification in 2023.

Please note full bias adjusted results for 2022 will be available from August 2023 in our 2023 Annual Status Report.

All results for Air Quality Monitoring from 2005 to 2021 can be found in our Annual Air Quality Reports.

Historical data from the continuous analysers can be found below.

Increasingly it is thought that high levels of air pollution are detrimental to health, especially for susceptible members of the community, such as the elderly, children, asthmatics and individuals with bronchitis. It is important to us that we ensure pollution levels are regularly checked.

We monitor local air quality using both continuous analysers and diffusion tubes.

NO2 diffusion tubes

Diffusion tubes are a useful, low cost way to monitor nitrogen dioxide borough-wide. In addition to the 64 long-term diffusion tubes, we use NO2 diffusion tubes to gather air quality data which helps inform planning proposals and traffic management decisions, such as the Royal Parks Movement Strategy and proposed Low Transport Neighbourhoods (LTN’s) in the borough. A proposed LTN in East Sheen was dropped and an LTN in Hampton Hill was made permanent, partly with the help of air quality monitoring data. Diffusion tubes are also used for short-term monitoring 24/7 for a month or more where residents have concerns, including outside schools. 

In January 2022 we began a three year programme to monitor worst case scenario 24/7 for a full year outside all state primary schools within the borough.

The diffusion tube results can be viewed on the following pages:

Continuous analysers

Monitoring of air quality in the Borough takes place 24 hours a day. Currently the section has one mobile monitoring unit and two static units. One is located in Castelnau outside the Public Library and the other is at the Wetlands site. The mobile unit is moved around the borough to different locations.

Continuous monitoring of the following pollutants is carried out:

  • Nitrogen dioxide NO2
  • Ozone O3
  • Carbon Monoxide CO
  • Particulates PM10's

View the latest air quality results.

Historical monitoring

The following list gives the results for our mobile air quality units dating back to 1998.

Up to: Air pollution

Updated: 10 May 2023

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