Environmental Monitoring That Informs Better Decisions

July saw the Redmore Environmental Monitoring team working across a varied mix of projects, from operational fire stations and commercial refurbishments to food processing facilities and regulated waste sites.

While each project was different, the objective was the same: to understand existing environmental conditions, investigate potential impacts and provide reliable evidence to help clients determine the next steps.

Understanding Indoor Air Quality Within Operational Fire Stations

One of the month’s most interesting commissions involved a comprehensive programme of Indoor Air Quality Monitoring across a number of operational fire stations in the North East.

The investigation was commissioned to better understand indoor air quality within appliance bays and operational areas, helping determine whether improvements to existing extract ventilation systems would further enhance the working environment for operational crews.

The monitoring programme included four weeks of continuous measurement of particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Additional monitoring was undertaken during simulated emergency call-out scenarios to investigate how pollutant concentrations varied during representative operational activities. Combining continuous monitoring with targeted measurements during these scenarios provided a more detailed understanding of how different activities may influence indoor air quality within the stations.

Verifying Indoor Environments Before Occupation

July also saw continued demand for BREEAM Indoor Air Quality Monitoring, with projects completed at a refurbished hotel in London and a major banking headquarters.

Although serving very different purposes, both developments required post-construction Indoor Air Quality verification before being handed over for occupation.

Monitoring focused on Total Volatile Organic Compounds and formaldehyde in accordance with BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out 2014, providing independent evidence that the completed internal environments satisfy the relevant Indoor Air Quality criteria.

Characterising Industrial Odour Emissions

Specialist emissions monitoring formed another key part of the month’s workload.

Following completion of an odour audit at a food processing facility, our consultants undertook a programme of odour emissions sampling to better understand releases from key process areas and determine whether further mitigation measures may be required.

Samples were collected using recognised lung sampling techniques before analysis by a UKAS-accredited laboratory in accordance with BS EN 13725.

The resulting dataset will be incorporated into atmospheric dispersion modelling, allowing predicted odour impacts beyond the site boundary to be assessed and supporting future environmental management decisions.

Supporting Long-Term Environmental Compliance

Alongside these project-specific investigations, long-term environmental monitoring programmes continued across a number of regulated waste facilities.

Quarterly Bioaerosol Monitoring was undertaken at composting and waste management sites in accordance with the Environment Agency’s Technical Guidance Note M9. Sampling assessed concentrations of Aspergillus fumigatus and mesophilic bacteria, providing operators with the evidence required to demonstrate continued compliance with Environmental Permit conditions.

These ongoing monitoring programmes remain an important part of understanding operational performance and maintaining high environmental standards over time.

Looking Ahead

As summer progresses, our workload continues to expand across the commercial, public, industrial and waste sectors.

From investigating Indoor Air Quality within operational buildings to supporting planning applications, environmental permitting and long-term compliance programmes, we remain committed to delivering robust environmental data that helps clients make informed decisions with confidence.

Please contact us today to discuss your environmental monitoring requirements or request a proposal, our team would be pleased to help.