Air quality monitoring is often associated with long-term environmental strategies, established monitoring networks and regular reporting.
But what happens when the need for air quality data arises unexpectedly?
An unusual emission, concerns about pollution near residential areas, an industrial incident or a sudden change in environmental conditions can quickly raise questions among citizens, local authorities and environmental professionals.
What exactly is in the air? Is the situation changing? And what is happening at the locations currently raising the greatest concern?
In such circumstances, reliable measurements are essential. But so are speed, flexibility and the ability to access and interpret data as conditions evolve.
Because sometimes, monitoring cannot wait for a long-term infrastructure project.
The Reference Standard – and Its Limitations
Reference monitoring stations are the backbone of official air quality monitoring. They provide highly accurate measurements, follow strict regulatory standards and play an essential role in long-term environmental assessment.
However, establishing a new reference monitoring station is neither quick nor inexpensive. It requires significant investment, specialised equipment, infrastructure and ongoing maintenance.
And while many reference stations provide near-real-time measurements for certain pollutants, other measurements require laboratory analysis, validation and additional processing before final results become available.
But environmental concerns don’t always arise where monitoring infrastructure already exists.
A situation may require measurements near a particular facility, in a residential neighbourhood, around a school or at several locations simultaneously.
And when conditions are changing, the ability to quickly establish monitoring exactly where it is needed becomes just as important as the measurements themselves.
Monitoring That Can Respond to the Situation
Fortunately, reference monitoring stations are not the only way to obtain meaningful air quality information.
Modern indicative near-reference monitoring systems offer a complementary approach, combining reliable measurements with faster deployment, greater flexibility and continuous access to environmental data.
They can be rapidly deployed at specific locations, relocated as monitoring needs evolve or combined into networks – providing valuable additional coverage when and where it’s needed most.
But not all indicative monitoring technologies deliver near-reference performance. The difference lies in measurement quality, calibration and validation.
Sensees Outdoor Air Quality Monitoring Stations have been calibrated and evaluated against reference monitoring equipment, demonstrating their ability to provide reliable, high-quality air quality measurements in line with the requirements of EU Directive 2024/2881 and relevant US EPA guidelines.
Their performance has also been independently evaluated by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI). The official evaluation report is available here.
Combined with their compact design and more accessible cost, this makes them a practical solution for expanding monitoring coverage without the investment and infrastructure requirements of traditional reference stations.
And as recent developments remind us, the need for additional air quality monitoring doesn’t always come with advance notice. While we would all prefer circumstances that don’t call for urgent measurements, situations like these highlight the importance of having reliable, proven solutions ready to respond.
Real-Time Data Changes What We Can Do
Installing monitoring equipment is only the first step.
When air quality becomes a concern, having measurements is important. Understanding what is happening as it happens is even more valuable.
Through the Sensees Environmental Platform, data from monitoring stations becomes continuously accessible, allowing users to follow pollutant concentrations in real time, explore historical trends and compare measurements across different locations.
Is pollution increasing or decreasing? Are similar patterns appearing at multiple monitoring points? How do current measurements compare with previous days?
These are questions that can be explored without waiting for periodic reports.
And when several stations are deployed across an area, the platform helps reveal differences that a single monitoring location might not capture.
For environmental professionals and decision-makers, this means having access to relevant information as situations develop, supporting timely assessment and more informed responses.
Reference and Indicative Monitoring: Better Together
Reference and indicative monitoring should not be seen as competing approaches.
Reference stations remain essential for regulatory compliance, scientific accuracy and long-term environmental assessment. High-quality indicative monitoring systems complement them by providing flexibility, additional spatial coverage and immediate access to local measurements.
This complementary approach is also recognised in the revised European Ambient Air Quality Directive (EU) 2024/2881, which strengthens the role of indicative measurements and modelling alongside reference monitoring.
Ultimately, effective air quality monitoring is not only about how accurately we measure.
It’s also about how quickly we can respond to a new monitoring need, how easily we can adapt to specific locations and how effectively we can turn measurements into useful information.
Because when air quality becomes a concern, access to reliable data should never be another uncertainty.
Explore how Sensees helps make reliable air quality data available when and where it’s needed.
