A HI-TECH company has scooped two deals worth almost £1.5m to monitor pollution which could harm children.

AEA Technology has been appointed to monitor levels of key pollutants across the UK and provide data that will help the Government form effective policies to control air pollution.

In two separate contracts, AEA Technology's Environment business will monitor pollution levels for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Peter Coleman, of AEA Technology, said: "Effective monitoring of these pollutants in the air allows the Government to develop policies based on sound scientific data in order to protect public health.

"This monitoring will also give the Government the information it needs for negotiations with other European countries on emission reductions." Under the first contract, AEA Technology air-quality experts will monitor the level of hazardous air pollutants (HAPS), including dioxins and other chemicals which the World Health Organisation has identified as having a serious effect on children.

Sources of HAPs include waste incineration, industrial processes, and domestic and industrial combustion of coal.

The team will also monitor levels of chemicals known as PCBs. These chemicals, now widespread in the environment, were used commercially from the 1930s but were banned in the mid-1980s. PCBs are thought to cause human health problems especially in young children.

Trace metals from industry and pesticides that can cause a range of health effects will also be monitored in this contract; for example, lead may have an effect on the development of young children, and long-term exposure to cadmium may damage the kidneys.

In the second contract, AEA Technology staff will monitor the level of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), that are thought to contribute to lung cancer.

Sources of PAHs include traffic, industry and domestic and coal combustion.

During the three-year contracts, reports to Government will identify levels of each pollutant in the atmosphere and will assess how Britain is affected by sources of pollution in other countries.

The AEA Technology team will also assess how much Britain contributes to levels of these pollutants across Europe.

Story date: Wednesday 23 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.