Air Quality Modelling and Risk Assessment Team

The Air Quality Modelling and Risk Assessment Team (AQMRAT) is a technical team within Natural Resources Wales leading on air modelling and risk assessment. AQMRAT undertakes a number of key duties, including:

• Dealing with impact assessment from air emissions (including air quality strategy pollutants, odour, dioxins and metals, habitats, bio-aerosol and radioactive gases/particles) and noise released from installation and waste sites
• Reviewing and developing regulatory guidance and tools to support our Pollution Prevention and Control Officers and our Permitting Officers
• Providing technical inputs to the UK-wide regulatory evidence, guidance and tool development

Air quality-related data and its interpretation 

We collect emissions data for the release of pollutants to air from the installations and facilities we regulate. This data is submitted annually to the UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) https://industry.eea.europa.eu/#/home

Our data and information responsibilities web page provides more information on data sharing. 

Our data and information responsibilities

Policy

Natural Resources Wales provides the Welsh Government, local authorities, industrial operators and the public with policy advice, evidence, information and guidance.  Our policy role is to:

• Ensure that the Government, regulators and industry can comply with international, UK and domestic air quality requirements
• Provide Ministers, the Government, the public and other stakeholders with high-quality and timely information
• Inform local, regional and national regulatory and policy discussions

Projects, Studies and Reports

Natural Resources Wales has initiated and supported a number of air quality projects that better inform our understanding of regional air quality.  Over the past ten years we have completed over 40 ambient air studies across Wales, plus numerous air quality research and evidence projects.

Whenever possible we publish reports and datasets on either the Natural Resources Wales web pages or the Wales Air Quality Forum https://airquality.gov.wales/

Further Information

For technical support, ambient air monitoring and air quality information contact us by emailing airquality@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk