Professional course Air Quality Monitoring

Entry year
2024/25
Course code
Z42000110
Application
University
Level
Professional/Short Course
School
School of Architecture and Environment
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
One day
Delivery
Live session and/or self-study
Course Director
Dr Jo Barnes, Air Quality Management Resource Centre

Page last updated 12 October 2023

Introduction

Accreditations and partnerships:

The Air Quality Management Resource Centre (AQMRC) in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management is pleased to offer an exciting suite of Air Quality short courses. This new suite consists of five distinct courses covering the following topics with an online (Distance Learning) option for each:

Delivered as self-learning (materials access only) or blended learning (materials + live session), where each topic will provide you with a set of interactive web-based materials to work through in advance of a live online session with the course leaders and your peers, which will provide an opportunity to discuss the materials in more depth and undertake related activities to that topic.

Individuals are invited to book on as many or few of the days as they wish.

"I can use what I learnt all week to improve my Councils' AQ arrangements, write accurate review and assessment reports, review 3rd party reports and attract developer contributions to air quality via CIL and S106." Mike Jephcott, Senior Environmental Health Officer

What does it cover?

This course explains how to measure concentrations of the pollutants prescribed in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The course will explain the rationale for monitoring air quality, monitoring strategies for Local Air Quality Management, and highlight the limitations of different monitoring techniques.

This course will cover Air Quality Monitoring QAQC for automatic and passive monitoring methods including field, lab and data protocols.

The course also includes automatic monitor calibration, data validation and ratification, diffusion tube bias and precision, and calculation and use of bias adjustment factors in LAQM. The course focuses on particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as the main pollutants of concern for local authorities in the UK.

Who is it for?

"The new learning from the course, with specific attention to Technical Guidance (2016), will make my research more current, valid, and impactful." Mehrdad Borna, Doctoral Researcher Lecturer, University of Westminster

The courses will be of interest to students, practitioners and policy makers involved in air quality management in:

  • Environmental health/protection
  • Public health
  • Transport
  • Land-use planning.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements to join this course.

A good level of English language is required to be able to follow the content.

Structure

Content

This course will cover the following areas:

  • Rationale for monitoring air quality
  • Monitoring strategies for Local Air Quality Management
  • Automatic and passive monitoring methods
  • Field, lab and data protocols
  • Data validation and ratification
  • Diffusion tube bias adjustment and precision
  • Focus on NO2 and PM10

Learning and Teaching

How is the programme delivered?

There are two options to access each session:

  • Online Materials Access Only: This option will provide you with access to the online interactive materials for 12 weeks from 06 March 2023.
  • Online Materials + Live Online Session: This option provides you with access to the online interactive materials for 12 weeks from 06 March 2023. The online materials will be released 6 weeks before the live online session and will be available for a further 6 weeks after this has taken place.

Study time

This course will take approximately 6hrs of individual learning (online materials), plus 3hrs live session time if selecting 'materials + live session'.

It is recommended to work though the online materials in advance of the live online session.

Features

Professional accreditation

The courses are accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES)

For those accessing the materials and completing the live session you will be issued with a UWE Bristol Certificate of Attendance for 3 CPD hours + self-study.

IES members can submit this certificate as part of their CPD activity record.

No CPD certificate will be provided for those joining the Online Materials Access Only sessions.

Study facilities

IT requirements 

This programme is delivered fully online. UWE Bristol has invested significantly in online resources to support your study. We use the 'Blackboard' online platform to deliver an integrated learning experience to you. Access to this course will require you to be enrolled as a UWE student.

To ensure you able to access materials and can participate fully in the live sessions, if you plan to attend these, please see the following required computer specifications: 

Operating system: Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.9 

Web browser: Firefox is the optimal browser. However other browsers such as Google Chrome (version 79 or later) are also compatible. 

Additional requirements: 

  • 256 MB RAM
  • 20 MB free disk space
  • Internet Access - 28.8 kbps speed or above (broadband connection highly recommended). Slower internet connections may cause issues with audio and video. 
  • Microphone and speakers/headphones
  • Webcam

We also recommend you check your firewall setting in advance, especially if you are using a work computer, to ensure your firewall will allow you to access our sites and programmes. 

Get a feel for the Geography and Environmental Management facilities we have on offer here from wherever you are.

Prices and dates

Supplementary fee information

Course Dates

This course is planned to run again in 2023/24. Course dates, updated fees and online booking forms will be published here in the summer of 2023. Please complete our online enquiry form below to be notified once these details are made available

Cohort TBCDateTimeLocation
Access to online materialsTBCAnytimeOnline
Live online sessionTBCTBCOnline

Course fees

All prices are VAT exempt. Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with each other. The greatest discount available will be applied at your booking confirmation

Cohort TBC
Early Bird Discount Materials + Live Session £TBC
Deadline for Early Bird bookings & payment Date TBC
Full Fee Materials + Live Session £TBC
UWE Alumni/Staff Discount Materials + Live Session £TBC
Future Space Discount Materials + Live Session £TBC
Course Connect Discount Materials + Live Session £TBC
Full Fee Materials Access Only £TBC
Deadline for all other bookings & payments Date TBC

How to apply

How to apply

This course is planned to run again in 2023. Once confirmed, course dates, updated fees and online booking forms will be published here. Please complete our online enquiry form below to be notified once these details are made available.

Cohort 
TBCEnquire Now

You will have the option to book on one or multiple topics as well as choosing your preferred method of study (Materials Access Only or Materials + Live Session).

As part of the booking process you will be registered as a UWE student and issued a UWE email and password, to enable access to the required online resources.

For further information

  • Email: For specific questions in relation to the course, i.e. content, suitability, assessments, etc. please contact the Programme Leader, Dr Jo Barnes (Jo.Barnes@uwe.ac.uk). For all queries regarding administration aspects of registration, i.e. dates, fees, etc. please contact us using the online enquiry form link or phone number below.
  • Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 81043 (option 1, then option 3)