Air pollution monitoring: MARGA Network
How to get air pollution data from the MARGA Network, which monitors aerosols and gases in ambient air.
The MARGA Network helps us understand how the long-range transport of air pollution forms particulate matter in urban areas.
It is part of the UK Eutrophying and Acidifying Atmospheric Pollutants (UKEAP) Network that monitors long-term pollutant trends in rural and remote locations.
The MARGA Network monitors aerosols and gases in ambient air at 3 stations, although only 2 are currently active:
- Auchencorth Moss in Midlothian, Scotland
- Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire, England
Both these stations are rural background sites away from significant sources of air pollution.
Get air pollution data from the MARGA Network
Data from this network is published every 6 months.
Get air pollution data from the MARGA Network.
Pollutants the MARGA Network measures
The MARGA Network measures:
- nitric oxide
- nitrogen dioxide
- calcium in PM10
- chloride in PM10
- potassium in PM10
- magnesium in PM10
- sodium in PM10
- ammonium in PM10
- nitrate in PM10
- sulphate in PM10
- calcium in PM2.5
- chloride in PM2.5
- potassium in PM2.5
- magnesium in PM2.5
- sodium in PM2.5
- ammonium in PM2.5
- nitrate in PM2.5
- sulphate in PM2.5
- gaseous hydrochloric acid
- gaseous nitrous acid
- gaseous nitric acid
- gaseous ammonia
- gaseous sulphur dioxide
How the MARGA Network measures data
The MARGA Network uses diffusion tubes to collect data. Each tube has a wind protection cap to prevent the samples being affected by wind.
The diffusion tubes are collected by hand every month and sent to a laboratory for analysis.
MARGA Network start date
The MARGA Network started on 17 February 2009.