What Dustscan does

DustScan (trading as DustScanAQ) is an independent, employee-owned UK environmental consultancy specialising in dust monitoring and air quality assessment. Established in 2004 by Dr Geoffrey Walton from a University of Leeds Teaching Company Scheme project, the firm is headquartered in Witney, Oxfordshire, with the Employee-Ownership Trust completing its buyout of the founder in 2021 and current Managing Director Oliver Puddle taking the helm in February 2025.

The company's core technology stack combines proprietary sticky-pad dust monitoring hardware (DS100 directional flux gauge, DustDisc deposition sampler, DS100-D combined unit, and DS500X combined gravimetric PM sampler) with bespoke in-house software (DSX) for image-based dust coverage analysis, plus the DustScan Cloud real-time PM1/PM2.5/PM10 monitoring service. Advanced characterisation services use optical microscopy, SEM-EDXS, ICP-OES, XRD, and polarised light microscopy. The directional sticky pad system has been accepted by the UK High Court as more reliable than the Frisbee method in the 2025 Chirk Nuisance Group Litigation, and IAQM guidance authorship provides regulatory influence.

DustScan generates revenue through three streams: (1) bespoke consultancy fees for dust and air quality assessments, dust management plans, occupational exposure monitoring (COSHH/LEV/noise), indoor air quality testing, expert witness work, odour and climate change assessments tied to planning and permit cycles; (2) sale and hire of proprietary dust monitoring equipment; and (3) international licensing of the DSX software via distributor agreements, currently anchored by Skyside South Africa. Customers span construction, aggregates/minerals, energy, waste, infrastructure, public sector, and occupational hygiene, with named clients including HS2, BP, Shell, EDF, E.ON, National Grid, Tarmac, Hanson, Balfour Beatty, Mace, AECOM, WSP, DHL, Lancaster University, and multiple UK councils.

Name

Dustscan

Legal name

DustScan Ltd

Website

https://dustscan.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DustScanAQ is an employee-owned UK environmental consultancy providing specialist dust monitoring, air quality assessment, and occupational exposure services to construction, aggregates, energy, waste, and public-sector clients, supported by proprietary sticky-pad monitoring hardware and DSX analysis software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services (Dust and Air Quality)

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Geospatial MRV (Satellite, Aerial, LiDAR, SAR) (EUABACAF)

Keywords

• Dust monitoring services
• Air quality assessment
• Environmental consultancy
• Occupational hygiene monitoring
• Dust dispersion modelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Chipping Norton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Specialist consultancy fees for dust assessments, air quality assessments, dust management plans, occupational exposure monitoring, expert witness services, and climate change assessments. Services are tailored to project requirements and support planning applications and environmental permits.
2. Dust Monitoring Equipment Sales and Rental: Sale and hire of dust monitoring equipment including DS100 directional monitors, DustDisc samplers, DS100-D combined units, DS500X PM samplers, and real-time DustScan Cloud monitoring stations.
3. DSX Software Licensing: Licensing of DSX web-based dust sample analysis software to international distributors and licensees. Skyside South Africa already licenses the cloud-based sticky pad analysis software for in-house analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DustScanAQ is an independent, employee-owned environmental consultancy providing specialist dust and air quality monitoring, assessments, management plans, occupational exposure monitoring, and expert witness services. The company also designs and sells/licenses proprietary directional sticky pad dust monitoring equipment (DS100, DustDisc, DS100-D, DS500X), the DSX web-based dust analysis software, and DustScan Cloud real-time air quality monitoring services. It supports planning applications, environmental permits, COSHH compliance, and nuisance litigation for mineral, construction, waste, residential, and industrial clients across all seven continents.

Product overview

DustScanAQ is an environmental consultancy offering a unified portfolio of dust and air quality monitoring products, proprietary analysis software (DSX), and professional consulting services. The core offering consists of DSX software for analyzing sticky pad dust samples, a range of dust monitoring equipment (DS100, DustDisc, DS100-D, DS500X), and the DustScan Cloud real-time monitoring service, all supported by expert consultancy including dust and air quality assessments, dust characterisation, occupational exposure monitoring, indoor air quality testing, workplace noise assessments, LEV testing, climate change assessments, and expert witness services. The company was established in 2004 and is employee-owned.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DSX: Web-based dust analysis software enabling clients to rapidly receive results for sticky pad dust samples. The software evaluates dust coverage (Absolute Area Coverage) and darkness/soiling effect (Effective Area Coverage) to report nuisance risk potential.

Products and services

• DSX Dust Analysis Software Proprietary web-based dust analysis software that evaluates sticky pad dust samples by examining dust coverage (Absolute Area Coverage / AAC) and dust soiling (Effective Area Coverage / EAC) to report a nuisance risk potential. Licensed internationally for in-house sample analysis by overseas partners such as SKYSIDE South Africa.
• DS100 Directional Dust Monitor Directional dust flux gauge using a sticky pad to collect fugitive dust in horizontal flux from 360° around the sampling head. Used for fence-line boundary monitoring and identifying the direction from which dust has arisen. Robust, weather-resistant, no power supply required.
• DustDisc Dust Deposition Monitor Low-cost dust settlement sampler using a horizontally affixed sticky pad to measure dust deposition rates. Simpler and less expensive than Frisbee gauges, easily transportable via standard postage, available in DustDisc-B and DustDisc 1.7 variants.
• DS100-D Combined Directional and Depositional Monitor Combines the DS100 directional dust monitor with the DustDisc dust settlement sampler for comprehensive boundary or receptor monitoring, replacing the standard rain gauge with a DustDisc holder and bird-strike guard.
• DS500X Combined Dust and PM Sampler Combines the DS100 directional sticky pad gauge with a battery-powered filter-reference gravimetric PM10 sampler for simultaneous monitoring of dust flux and airborne particulates. Can be powered by 12V batteries for remote locations and supplied with PM4 or PM2.5 size-selective inlets.
• DustScan Cloud Real-Time Air Quality Monitoring Real-time air quality monitoring service providing PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations in micrograms per cubic metre. Can run off-grid using solar panels, with data transmitted to a cloud-based data management platform accessible over the internet.
• Dust Assessment Services Comprehensive dust impact assessments for planning and permitting, including mineral dust assessments, construction dust assessments, and waste site dust assessments. Follows the latest IAQM guidance and includes dispersion modelling for PM10, PM2.5, and Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS).
• Air Quality Assessment Services Expert air quality assessments for planning applications including screening assessments, transport emissions modelling, point source emissions modelling, air quality neutral assessments, and air quality and dust management plans covering NO2, PM10, and PM2.5.
• Dust Characterisation Services Advanced dust composition analysis using optical light microscopy, SEM-EDXS, ICP-OES, XRD, and polarised light dispersion staining microscopy for asbestos screening and dust source identification.
• Expert Witness Services Expert witness evidence for nuisance and planning legal cases under UK public nuisance case law, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and planning inquiries under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Includes air quality, dust, smoke, and odour nuisance cases.
• Indoor Air Quality Assessment Indoor air quality testing and monitoring across industrial, commercial, educational, and public premises, covering PM10, PM2.5, CO2, VOCs including formaldehyde. Results compared against WHO guidelines, CIBSE standards, and Building Regulations Part F. Over 400 monitoring surveys completed.
• Occupational Exposure Monitoring Workplace air monitoring for airborne contaminants including dusts, VOCs, asbestos fibres, MMMF, welding fumes, acid fumes, oil mists, bioaerosols, and industrial gases. Uses personal and static sampling methods with 8-hour TWA calculations compared against COSHH EH40 WELs.
• Workplace Noise Assessment Occupational noise exposure monitoring and workplace noise assessments to help employers meet the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, including site visits, sound level meter measurements, personal dosimetry, octave band frequency analysis, and hearing protection recommendations.
• LEV Testing and Assessment Local Exhaust Ventilation testing and assessment following HSG258 guidance to control airborne contaminants and achieve COSHH compliance, including visual inspection, airflow and velocity testing, smoke testing, and reporting with photos, diagrams, and recommendations.
• Climate Change Assessment Climate change, greenhouse gas, and carbon assessments including carbon footprint calculations, carbon management, and mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting. Includes Scope 3 emissions assessment following the R(Finch) v Surrey County Council Supreme Court ruling.
• Odour Assessment Odour impact assessments for planning applications following EMAQ+ and IAQM guidance, including existing and potential odour source assessment, dispersion modelling, evidence-led reports, and tailored odour management plans with mitigation strategies.
• Dust Management Plans Production of Dust Management Plans (DMP) and Air Quality and Dust Management Plans (AQDMP) for mineral, construction, demolition, and waste management sites, including dust controls, monitoring schemes, and periodic review recommendations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 145,000 dust samples analysed to date
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers62 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, foundational and supporting.

• SKYSIDE South AfricacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025SKYSIDE appointed as DustScan's second international distributor, operating in South Africa and throughout the Southern African Development Community and Kenya. They use DustScan's passive sticky pad dust monitors and license the DSX cloud-based sticky pad analysis software for in-house sample analysis. SKYSIDE operates from offices in Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Kenya, providing a range of environmental monitoring services including air quality monitoring, PM10 and PM2.5 sampling, fenceline and fugitive emission monitoring, dust fallout monitoring, odour monitoring, and greenhouse gas emissions assessments.
• University of LeedsfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerDustScan business concept developed with University of Leeds via a Teaching Company Scheme (TCS) project in 2000, when founder Dr Geoffrey Walton was a partner at the Geoffrey Walton Practice and a visiting Professor of Mining at the University. The DustScan directional dust monitoring methodology was subsequently validated through work funded by the Mineral Industry Sustainable Technology (MIST) award.
• Cambridge Environmental Research ConsultantssupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvided dispersion modelling evidence in the Chirk Nuisance Group Litigation [2025] EWHC 2429 (TCC). DustScanAQ's approach in providing objective expert evidence, in tandem with Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants modelling evidence, was preferred by the judge to the claimant's expert's approaches.
• Clyde & Co (Law Firm)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClyde & Co acted as solicitors for Kronospan in the Chirk Nuisance Group Litigation. DustScanAQ provided expert witness evidence supporting the defence, which resulted in a High Court ruling in favour of the defendant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global inspection, verification, testing and certification firm with environmental monitoring and air quality services. Competes with DustScan for industrial hygiene and ambient air monitoring mandates.
• WSP: Global professional services consultancy with a strong air quality, noise, and environmental assessment offering in the UK and globally. Overlaps with DustScanAQ's planning-stage assessment work.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with a sizeable environment and air quality practice. Listed as a DustScan customer; competes for larger EIA and air quality mandates.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification company with air quality, dust, and occupational hygiene service lines. Competes via a much larger laboratory and field-services footprint.
• SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory consultancy with a dedicated air quality and emissions practice serving minerals, infrastructure, and industrial clients. Larger but directly comparable service lines to DustScan.
• AtkinsRéalis (formerly Atkins): Global design, engineering, and project management consultancy with established air quality and environmental assessment capabilities. Listed as a DustScan customer and a competitor for similar mandates.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): World's largest pure-play environmental consultancy offering air quality, occupational health, and permitting services across industries. Has been a DustScan client while also competing for specialist mandates.
• Ramboll: International engineering and environmental consultancy with air quality, noise, and EIA practices serving construction and industrial clients. Overlaps with DustScan on planning-stage air quality work.

Direct peers

• Air Quality Consultants Ltd: UK-based specialist air quality consultancy providing dust, air quality, and odour assessments for planning and permitting. Directly comparable to DustScanAQ in scale, customer base (construction, minerals, waste), and service mix.
• Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants: Specialist environmental consultancy focused on air dispersion modelling, emissions assessments, and meteorological analysis. Partnered with DustScan in the Chirk Nuisance Group Litigation as a modelling expert.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dustscan-ltd
• Xx.com/DustScan
• Facebookfacebook.com/WestcountryBusiness

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dustscan