Eden DM procures a Mobile Air Monitoring Station
“Air Quality ambient monitoring is a statutory requirement of District Municipalities, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act 39 of 2004).
Until recently, the Eden District Municipality (Eden DM) Air Quality Unit made use of passive sampling, which is not ideal for accurate monitoring purposes. In the current financial year, provision was made on the capital budget, for the procurement of a Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Station. The Supply Chain Management processes were followed, where after the tender was awarded to C & M Consulting, for the purchasing of a Mobile Ambient Monitoring Station, the Scentinal SL50.
The Scentinal SL50 provides ambient odour emission monitoring, based on high accuracy (ppb level), detection of odorous gases such as Hydrogen Sulpide (H2S), Ammonia, Volitile Organic Compound (VOC’s), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and other chemical compounds, depending on user specification. The system allows up to 20 sensors to be optionally incorporated into one Scentinal package. It also allows remote live monitoring of plant emissions on Scentroid’s cloud servers or locally from the Scentinal’s on board display. Scentinal SL50 comes in a NEMA4x cabinet, to operate within ambient environment between 4 to 35 degrees Celsius. Optionally, each SL50 can be equipped with an air conditioning system for temperatures between 35 to 60 degrees Celsius. The station is also equipped with a heating system for temperatures ranging from 4 to -30 °C.
The Scentinal can be used almost everywhere, indoor- and outdoor installation is possible. It has two options for live monitoring, one being remotely on a secure cloud based server or locally with the on-board touch screen. The system can be configured remotely or locally. Access is restricted, and the data is encrypted for maximum security. Users will have access with a unique password and username, which will define their permission level.
This Scentinal SL50 Station will assist Eden DM in determining the impact of air pollution, and will serve as a screening method for possible risk areas. The station is also essential for dealing with air quality related complaints. It is mobile and easy to commission and operate. “This is the 1st station of such a nature used by a District Municipality in the Western Cape,” said Dr Johann Schoeman, Eden DM Manager: Air Quality Control.
The Scentinal SL50 Station is in high demand and will be used in the hot spots areas throughout the Eden district. It is also solar operational in areas where there is no electricity supply. The only disadvantage is that it has to be guarded or placed at locations where it is secure. The station with all its accessories cost R480 000.
On Monday, 12 June 2017, the Air Quality Unit held a press conference during which Dr Johann Schoeman explained to the media that Eden DM is confident that the station will assist them with the objective of determining the impact of air pollution in the district. The station was also recently located in Knysna at the Provincial Hospital. The reason was to determine the aftermath of the possible air pollution impact on the residents. There were a few spikes of Carbon monoxide and Particulate matter. This may well be due to some fires still smoldering as well as the current dust situation due to loss of vegetation. There were however, no exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality standards after the fires.