Issue 08/07/2026: we are aware of a database issue causing SCAIL to not detect any protected site since this afternoon. The issue is intermittent. We advise to postpone using SCAIL agriculture and SCAIL combustion until this notice is gone.
Update 09/07/2026 12:16: SCAIL agriculture and SCAIL combustion are now back up and running. We also performed today an update to the SCAIL database (see the notice archive)
Simple Calculation of Atmospheric Impact Limits is a suite of screening tools for assessing the impact from agricultural and combustion sources on semi-natural areas like SSSIs and SACs. SCAIL is now available as two models - SCAIL Agriculture and SCAIL Combustion. Both models provide an estimate of the amount of acidity, nitrogen or sulphur deposited on to a habitat or sensitive ecosystem. Output from the models can then be used to assess whether impact limits for the habitat are exceeded or not. The models are useful as an initial screening of sources for IED applications or Appropriate Assessments under the Habitats Directive.

Choose a SCAIL model:

SCAIL AGRICULTURE is a simple online screening tool that can be used in IED applications, EIAs or Appropriate Assessments in Ireland and the UK to estimate the effect of an agricultural emission (e.g. poultry shed) on a habitat (e.g. SSSI). This estimate can then be used to determine the exceedance or non-exceedance of the habitat's impact limit and will help users in deciding whether more detailed modelling or site specific investigation is required.

SCAIL Agriculture is running the atmospheric dispersion model AERMOD to model NH3 and PM10 emissions from livestock installations and associated storage and spreading. From March 2024 the model takes into account regional wind statistics for 109 UK and Irish meteorological stations.

SCAIL COMBUSTION is a screening tool that uses the atmospheric dispersion model AERMOD to model SO2 and NOX emissions from small to medium sized combustion sources. The model estimates the impacts of nitrogen oxides (NOx: NO and NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions on sensitive habitat sites. User can enter details of their habitat, source and stack parameters to calculate an estimate of NOx and SO2, acid and nitrogen deposition at the habitat. The model uses wind data from the nearest meteorological station data, of which there are around 109 meteorological stations in the system.

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