Air

Assessment of the effects of a proposed development project on local air quality is important from the perspective of regulatory compliance, to ensure that relevant standards and objectives for human health or the protection of ecosystems are not compromised. The assessment of potential impacts can be approached in a variety of ways, from basic spreadsheet calculations to the use of complex computer models that take account of variables including meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, terrain, adjacent buildings, traffic speed/volume, and different operating conditions for industrial processes. However, it is important that the practitioner undertaking the assessment has a thorough understanding of the entire process, including the scenario(s) being modelled (whether based around traffic flows in future years or elements of an industrial process), the variables being used to inform the assessment, the standards against which the assessment is being completed and the way any model used for the assessment works.