Valeria Pensabene and Georgina McGivern  from The Camden Clean Air Initiative at the organisation’s recent Eco-Champion Awards [The Camden Clean Air Initiative]

In her first in a new monthly series, Georgina McGivern from The Camden Clean Air Initiative explains how a network of sensors across the borough are tracking air quality in real time

AT The Camden Clean Air Initiative, we are working to improve air quality across the borough of Camden. Since we started, over two years ago, we agreed that access to air quality data is key to creating the change we want to see.

For this reason, we set out to increase the number of real-time sensors across the borough in order to provide the members of our community with accurate and hyper-local air quality data that they can easily access and then use.

To make this vision a reality, we partnered with AirScape and Camden Council so that now Camden is the home of 227 real-time air quality sensors – the densest network in the world!

This will provide at least 45 times more spatial resolution and refresh 60 times more regularly than the network of existing air quality reference stations in Camden, capturing and reporting hyper-local air quality data every minute to map the issue in real-time.

The network monitors nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and ozone(O3), and allows you to view live or historical data from sensors that can be found every 200-250 metres.

The Camden community helped us to shape this network, from suggesting “hot spot” locations to commenting on where there was little monitoring previously being carried out.

We also enlisted the community’s help with testing the data map during a second “beta” phase to give feedback on its usability so we can make sure it works for those who will use it the most – the people of Camden.

The Air Quality team at Camden Council were also instrumental, providing us with access to lighting columns as well as technical support. You can access this air quality data at airscape.ai for free to make quality-of-life decisions to protect your health, change your own behaviour, and push for change at a policy level.

Over the coming months we will talk you through the different ways you can use this data, what to look out for, and the changes you can make to improve the air quality around you.

To find out more you can book an AirScape workshop for your school, business, or resident group, or you can email info@ camdencleanair.org

Georgina McGivern is programme manager at The Camden Clean Air Initiative

We have teamed up with the organisation to publish a monthly column from The Camden Clean Air Initative explaining what the latest data is showing about the air we are breathing in different parts of the borough. Be aware, some of the information can be frightening as you realise just how choked some of our roads are at certain times. But we agree with the Initiative that accurate information and access to it is one of the most powerful ways to bring about change. Look out for an article at the start of each month. You might also like to listen to the Camden Clean Air Initiative’s regular podcast, Camdeners – a series of interviews with interesting figures who live and work in the borough.