28
Air Monitoring
Realising a New Approach to Air Quality Monitoring
There is a growing body of evidence from organisations such as the World Health Organisation to suggest that poor air quality can lead to detrimental effects on health; including respiratory infections and cardiovascular health issues. As a result, many countries have implemented legislation which demands air quality monitoring to a very high standard, generally using monitoring systems that are approved and conform to regulations for measurement methods and uncertainties. These traditional monitoring stations are effective, but are expensive to set up and to maintain. The size of these stations also limits where they can be deployed. As a result of this, data gathered is accurate but limited to a few places within any given area, creating a reliance on modelling techniques to determine the spatial impact and sources of pollution.
This type of networked sensor array gives the opportunity to identify more accurately the sources of air pollution and thereby develop strategies to combat the problem.
There is a strong drive to develop effective air quality monitors that overcome the challenges faced in locating the larger, traditional systems. Aside from the difficulties in placing bulky monitoring stations in pollution hot spots or other areas of interest, there is also a cost implication if a high number of systems were to be installed in a network. This means that a sufficiently accurate, compact, reliable and low cost air quality monitoring instrument has the potential to revolutionise the sector by providing the opportunity to gather much more actual data and reduce the reliance on modelling. This is now becoming a reality.
The AQMesh from Geotech offers a new approach to air quality monitoring. Whilst not intending to replace or compete with approved air quality monitoring reference stations, the compact AQMesh
monitors NO, NO2, O3, CO and SO2. It can be used to provide much wider geographical coverage, thereby giving true real-time spatial determination of monitored pollution levels and assisting enhanced air quality modelling.
Compact system, easily deployed
Traditional air quality monitoring stations are generally quite large, often containerised systems allowing for air conditioning and control of
the environment in which the analysers are operating. This tends to be important to ensure the analysers perform optimally and to the required high standards. Due to the mains power requirements and sheer physical size, the location of these monitoring stations is naturally limited.
With the AQMesh, Geotech engineers take an entirely different approach to monitoring, complimenting the centralised more accurate monitoring stations. Being roughly the size of an average bird box (170 x 180 x 140 mm) and weighing less than 2kg, an AQMesh pod can very easily be deployed on a lamppost, fencepost, signpost or a wall. It is also wireless, powered by high capacity batteries and has a built-in wireless GPRS connection.
Flexible modular network
The compact physical design of this type of monitoring device means that it can easily be located at any potential pollution hotspot. This might be on a major traffic junction, a busy roadside or an industrial site perimeter. By using a small and easily deployed device such as this, a network of remote sensor modules can be created to monitor a wide urban area or around a whole industrial area, thereby giving a true indication of the spatial and temporal distribution of gaseous pollutants.
Author Details:
Tom Burniston, Geotech Sovereign House, Queensway
Leamington Spa, CV31 3JR, UK Tel: +44 (0)1926 338111
Email:
sales@geotech.co.uk Web:
www.geotechuk.com
AET Annual Buyers’ Guide 2013
www.envirotech-online.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
