Data Sources¶
Aeolus supports multiple air quality data sources. This page provides an overview of each.
UK Regulatory Networks¶
These networks are operated by UK government agencies and provide high-quality, ratified data.
AURN (Automatic Urban and Rural Network)¶
The UK's main regulatory monitoring network with ~150 sites across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Coverage: UK-wide
- Data quality: Ratified (high quality)
- API key: Not required
- Pollutants: NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO
import aeolus
from datetime import datetime
data = aeolus.download(
sources="AURN",
sites=["MY1", "KC1"],
start_date=datetime(2024, 1, 1),
end_date=datetime(2024, 1, 31)
)
SAQN (Scottish Air Quality Network)¶
Additional monitoring sites in Scotland, complementing AURN coverage.
- Coverage: Scotland
- Data quality: Ratified
- API key: Not required
WAQN (Welsh Air Quality Network)¶
Welsh monitoring network.
- Coverage: Wales
- Data quality: Ratified
- API key: Not required
NI (Northern Ireland Network)¶
Northern Ireland monitoring network.
- Coverage: Northern Ireland
- Data quality: Ratified
- API key: Not required
AQE (Air Quality England)¶
Local authority monitoring sites across England.
- Coverage: England (local authorities)
- Data quality: Ratified
- API key: Not required
LAQN (London Air Quality Network)¶
London's main regulatory monitoring network, managed by ERG at Imperial College London. ~250 sites across all London boroughs.
- Coverage: Greater London
- Data quality: Ratified
- API key: Not required
Global Portals¶
Portals aggregate data from multiple sources worldwide. Due to their scale (hundreds of thousands of sites), you search for sites first, then download.
OpenAQ¶
A global open data platform aggregating air quality data from government agencies, research institutions, and other sources worldwide.
- Coverage: 100+ countries
- Data quality: Varies by source
- API key: Required
- Documentation: OpenAQ
PurpleAir¶
Global network of 30,000+ low-cost air quality sensors, popular with researchers and citizen scientists.
- Coverage: Global (primarily USA, Europe, Australia)
- Data quality: Indicative (dual laser counters with QA/QC)
- API key: Required
- Documentation: PurpleAir
Networks¶
Networks are discrete monitoring systems with a known, manageable set of sites.
Breathe London¶
A dense network of low-cost sensors across London, providing high spatial resolution data.
- Coverage: Greater London
- Data quality: Indicative (lower than reference-grade)
- API key: Required
- Documentation: Breathe London
AirQo¶
Low-cost sensor network monitoring air quality in African cities.
- Coverage: Uganda, Kenya, and expanding
- Data quality: Indicative
- API key: Required
- Documentation: AirQo
EPA AirNow¶
Real-time air quality data from the US EPA's AirNow system.
- Coverage: USA, Canada, Mexico
- Data quality: Provisional (real-time, not yet verified)
- API key: Required
- History: ~45 days (for long-term data, use EPA AQS via OpenAQ)
- Documentation: EPA AirNow
Sensor.Community¶
Global citizen science network (formerly luftdaten.info) with 35,000+ low-cost sensors.
- Coverage: Global (primarily Europe)
- Data quality: Unvalidated (citizen science)
- API key: Not required
- Documentation: Sensor.Community
Comparing Sources¶
| Source | Type | Coverage | Quality | Real-time | Historical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AURN | Network | UK | Reference | Yes | 1973+ |
| SAQN | Network | Scotland | Reference | Yes | 2000s+ |
| WAQN | Network | Wales | Reference | Yes | 2000s+ |
| NI | Network | N. Ireland | Reference | Yes | 2000s+ |
| AQE | Network | England | Reference | Yes | 2000s+ |
| LAQN | Network | London | Reference | Yes | 1990s+ |
| OpenAQ | Portal | Global | Mixed | Yes | 2015+ |
| PurpleAir | Portal | Global | Indicative | Yes | 2017+ |
| Breathe London | Network | London | Indicative | Yes | 2019+ |
| AirQo | Network | Africa | Indicative | Yes | 2020+ |
| EPA AirNow | Network | N. America | Provisional | Yes | ~45 days |
| Sensor.Community | Network | Global | Unvalidated | Yes | 2015+ |