APIS tools

Kinloch and Kyleakin HillsQuery by locationHabitat/Pollutant impactsPhytophophera damage (fungus) effecting Calluna vulgaris

The ‘Site Relevant Critical Loads’ tool provides critical loads for acidity and nitrogen for designated features within every SAC, SPA or A/SSSI in the UK. You can view an overview of each interest feature for each site.

The 'Search by Location' tool can be used to provide concentrations, deposition, and critical loads and levels at a particular location throughout the UK.

APIS provides pollution impact records for a variety of habitats, ecosystems and species. Each record contains information on key impacts including any critical loads or levels and a full reference list.

The 'Plant Effects Gallery' is an online photographic library of air pollution effects together with examples from clean sites.

Latest news

Scottish Air Quality Monitoring Strategy Workshop

A Workshop to help in the development of the Scottish Air Quality Monitoring Strategy is being held at the Scottish Government, Victoria Quay on the 28th August 2012. The Workshop aims to cover the following issues:

  • Identify current air monitoring networks, their capacity and use of data
  • Identify potential gaps in the monitoring networks and data collections
  • Identify the future drivers for air quality within Scotland
  • Improve public awareness and participation towards air quality monitoring

In order to register for the workshop, please contact colin.gillepsie@sepa.org.uk by the 10th August

Post updated: Tue, 31/07/2012 - 14:05

UK environment improves as chemical climate responds to air pollution policies

RoTAPA major new review has found that the chemical climate of the UK has changed dramatically over the last 30 years, and continues to change as a consequence of UK and European policies to solve air pollution problems.

Sulphur emissions and concentrations have greatly declined, rain is no longer acid, and soils and freshwaters are slowly recovering.

The findings are contained within the Review of Transboundary Air Pollution (RoTAP), published last month, which examined changing patterns in acidification, eutrophication, ground level ozone and heavy metals in the UK.

Post updated: Fri, 27/07/2012 - 06:29

CCW Report : Impacts Of Additional Aerial Inputs Of Nitrogen To Salt Marsh And Transitional Habitats

The Countryside Council for Wales has published a report of atmospheric nitrogen impacts on saltmarsh habitats. CCW Science Report 995 is a review of the relative contributions of atmospheric and aqueous sources to UK salt marshes. The report provides advice on which end of the current nitrogen critical load range (20 - 30kgN/ha/year) to apply to different areas of saltmarsh when assessing nitrogen deposition impacts.

Post updated: Thu, 17/05/2012 - 12:37

New Critical Load Function tool for acidity on APIS

critical load function toolCritical loads are used by the environment agencies, conservation agencies and others as benchmarks against which to assess the potential impacts of atmospheric deposition.  Deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds can contribute towards acidification and both should be taken into account when assessing potential acidification impacts.

We have now published a new tool on APIS to calculate exceedance of the acidity critical load function and for comparing nitrogen and/or sulphur deposition from a source to the critical load function.  The method has been agreed by the environment agencies and conservation agencies.

Post updated: Wed, 04/04/2012 - 23:03

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