Roadside air monitoring

The World Health Organisation highlights air pollution as the number one reason for environment-related deaths, estimated to be the cause of seven million premature deaths – 4.3 million from outdoor air pollution and 2.6 from indoor pollution.  The city of Shanghai is determined to address this issue. In January 2016, the Shanghai People’s Congress unveiled a stricter goal for reducing average PM (particulate matter) densities by 2020. This came after a four year action plan entitled ‘The Shanghai Clean Air Action Plan’ between 2013-2017 to address the issue. 

In 2017 the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau announced that 2016 had experienced the cleanest air in almost six years, with the level of dust (micrograms per cubic metre) showing a 15 percent decrease from those in 2015. Keen for this to continue and to tackle the continued issue of outdoor dust air quality measurement, Casella provided a roadside dust monitoring system adapting the MicroDust Pro dust detection monitor - a real-time hand held data logging instrument for detection of airborne dusts, fumes and aerosols, and the adapted Apex2 Plus personal dust sampling pumps, used to monitor airborne contaminants. This air pollution measurement instrument has multiple purposes: publishing dust information online to update the public and issuing cautionary statements if required. It captures important data in real time; vital for the city. 

The MicroDust Pro dust level meter is designed to measure dust particulates for larger areas and adapts to environments accordingly, with an inbuilt alert mechanism for exceeded levels. The Apex2 Plus serves as an air sampler for environmental monitoring to accurately quantify dust levels for later testing. It also incorporates the Airwave App that allows remote monitoring, so users can remotely stop, start or pause measurement runs, see if there are blockages within the pump, and collect report information. This system puts thought into environmental air quality monitoring for air pollution – ensuring that the right people act when increased levels are reported.

Shanghai is setting a global benchmark in roadside dust monitoring that is being admired throughout China and across the world. Sean Gao, Business Unit Manager at Casella said “The UK’s Clean Air Day initiative is a fantastic platform that highlights the real threat of air pollution, and we hope that as local awareness increases, such a campaign can soon be run in China.”  Gao said “It’s clear that the value in our environmental dust monitoring solution is being realised, and we can help ensure the long term health for the public.”

For additional information on Casella, visit http://www.casellasolutions.com/uk/en/products/dust-and-gases/hand-held/