Air monitoring methodologies can be divided into five main types, covering a wide range of costs and performance levels. The methods and their relative merits are shown in more detail on the Monitoring Methodologies page. The use of a particular type of monitoring equipment may need to be justified in review and assessment reports and therefore should be chosen appropriately.
It is also important to choose the most appropriate monitoring location for investigating a specific air pollution source or problem.
Since monitoring instrumentation covers a wide range in capital and running costs, it is usually advisable to choose the simplest method available to meet the specified monitoring objectives. Many baseline monitoring, spatial screening and indicative surveys can be served perfectly well by inexpensive active or passive sampling methods. Only proven and generally accepted measurement methods should be considered.