Air pollution monitoring: Development of ammonia (NH₃) dynamic reference gas mixtures at nmol/mol levels for improving the lack of traceability of measurements

The measurement of ammonia (NH3) in ambient air is a sensitive and priority topic due to its harmful effects on human health and ecosystems. NH3 emissions have continuously increased over the last century in Europe, because of intensive livestock practices and enhanced use of nitrogen-based fertilizers. European air quality monitoring networks monitor atmospheric NH3 amount fractions. However, the lack of stable reference gas mixtures (RGMs) at atmospheric amount fractions to calibrate NH3 analyzers is a common issue of the networks, which results in data that are not accurate, traceable and, thus, geographically comparable. In order to cover this lack, LNE developed, in close collaboration with the company 2M PROCESS, a gas reference generator to generate dynamically NH3 RGMs in air. The method is based on gas permeation and further dynamic dilution to obtain an amount fraction range between 1 and 400 nmol/mol. The calibration of the elements of the generator against LNE primary standards ensures the traceability of the RGMs to the international system of units. Furthermore, the highly accurate flow and oven temperature measurements of the reference generator, together with the associated calibration procedure defined by LNE, guarantee relative expanded uncertainties of the calibration of the NH3 analyzer calibrations lower than 2 % (coverage factor = 2). This result is very satisfactory considering the low NH3 amount fraction levels (1 to 400 nmol/mol) and the phenomena of adsorption and desorption, especially in the presence of traces of water on the surfaces in contact. A bilateral comparison was organized between METAS and LNE, consisting on the calibration of a PICARRO G2103 gas analyzer by both national metrology institutes (NMI). The results highlighted the good agreement between the NH3 reference generators developed by the two institutes and allowed to validate both LNE’s reference generator and calibration procedure. The development of the NH3 reference generator has already raised great interest within the French air quality monitoring networks (AASQA). Since the end of 2020, LNE calibrated several NH3 analyzers of the networks. These requests shows the interest of the AASQA in the development of this new gas reference generator to guarantee the traceability of measurements carried out on the French territory.

Monitoring the Environment Exposed to Road Waste

This study aimed to carry out a systematic analysis of the literature on the environmental impactsof waste resulting from year-round maintenance of roads (WMR) with deicing agents. The impacts on economic factors and the environment at all stages of the life cycle were systematically examined, taking into account the engineering and technological efficiencies, and the direct, indirect, prolonged and deferred effects. A structural-integral block-hierarchical model for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of WMR on the environment and on the industrial, social and economic system as a whole was developed.This incorporated the complex spatial-temporal industrial, biological, physical and chemical impacts of elements of the road infrastructure itself, as well as external conditions. Keywords: pollution monitoring, environmental impact of waste, pollution from transport

Key Concerns and Drivers of Low-Cost Air Quality Sensor Use

Low-cost sensors are revolutionizing air pollution monitoring by providing real-time, highly localized air quality information. The relatively low-cost nature of these devices has made them accessible to the broader public. Although there have been several fitness-of-purpose appraisals of the various sensors on the market, little is known about what drives sensor usage and how the public interpret the data from their sensors. This article attempts to answer these questions by analyzing the key themes discussed in the user reviews of low-cost sensors on Amazon. The themes and use cases identified have the potential to spur interventions to support communities of sensor users and inform the development of actionable data-visualization strategies with the measurements from such instruments, as well as drive appropriate ‘fitness-of-purpose’ appraisals of such devices.

Noise Pollution Monitoring at Some Indoor Environments in Basrah City, Iraq

Noise is an unavoidable stressor nowadays; it adversely affects human health and the ability to perform mental and complex tasks. Eight selected points representing home environment were sampled in urban zones, the indoor and outdoor noise levels in these residential areas were evaluated during the summer and winter seasons. Also, nine points in educational institute represented by the College of Science through its lecture halls, laboratories and corridors, to compare them with WHO limits of sound pressure levels, to assess the level of noise experienced by people in indoor closed environments. The current study results showed higher sound levels than required inside homes and educational places. For homes, the highest sound level was 73.9 dB during summer in the living room and the lowest was 42.1 in winter in the bedroom, while the highest sound level in the educational environment was 72.37 dB in summer and the lowest was 61.75 dB in winter. Exposure of individuals to high levels of noise in educational institutions and in their homes means longer hours of exposure to noise pollution, which will negatively affect their health. Thus there is a serious need nowadays to adopt suitable control to reduce noise pollution at indoor points.

Vehicular Pollution Monitoring Using IOT

The air quality in metropolises is demeaning as a result of a complex commerce between natural and artificial environmental conditions. With the increase in urbanization and industrialization and lack of control on emigrations and use of catalytic transformers, a great quantum of particulate and poisonous feasts is produced. The ideal of this design is to cover air pollution on roads and track vehicles which beget pollution over a specified limit. Increased use of motorcars is a serious problem that has been around for a veritably long time. This paper gives check of different systems used to cover vehicular pollution and proposes use of Internet of Effects (IoT) to address this problem. Then, combination of Poisonous Gas Detectors and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) trailing system is used to cover vehicular pollution records anytime anywhere. Keywords: loT, WS, Arduino, RFlD, Gas Sensor

Treands in atmospheric turbidity over India

Annual mean values of the turbidity coefficients at Indian Background Air Pollution Monitoring Network' (BAPMoN) were compared for the periods 1973-1980and 1981-1985. It was found that there is a general increase of turbidity during the latter period at all the stations except at Kodaikanal and Pune, suggesting the effect of anthropogenic sources of pollution. Short term influence of volcanic eruptions were also discernible from the observations at Kodaikanal. Spectral analysis (FFT) at these stations brought out the predominant modes which could be explained on the basis of climatology and aerosol dispersion characteristics. The long term atmospheric turbidity observations (1973-1985) presented in this paper provide reliable data set for assessing the aerosol impact on radiation climate.