FALL-OUT PARTICULATE MONITORING
The monitoring of fall-out dust establishes the degree to which airborne particulate is precipitated out and then has an opportunity of exposure to human beings, animals or plant life. This monitoring further establishes a means of studying the movement of most sizes of dust including particulate of a size exceeding 10µm, which constitutes nuisance fugitive dust. This larger dust particulate poses the greatest local area influence.
Fall-out monitoring also has the advantage of offering a continuous means of monitoring, negating the need to estimate how representative the results are.
For a greatly decreased cost, multiple position monitoring can take place, forming a good network of monitor station in preference to only one or two.
Full direction monitoring indicates from which direction the emission is imported and use of multiple units can establish patterns of import and export dust, which is extremely useful in establishing dust sources. Continuous monitoring offers a far greater chance of detecting very low pollutant concentrations.
With the origins of monitoring having been established with the American Standard Test method (ASTM 1739D) there have been several developments in the field and improvements to the original open bucket collection methodology. At least two production units employing the ASTM 1739 method are available locally with both offering merits and demerits.
The system offers an opportunity of sampling airborne precipitant particulate as well as soluble airborne particulate prevalent at the coast and offers with minimal effort, the means of indicating both values from each sample.
The system also offers the potential of biological monitoring.
The system is acceptable in terms of ISO 14001 standards.
For more information, click here.
REFERENCES
Federal register Part 1V – 40 CFR Parts 53 & 58
Revised requirements for Designation of Reference
and Equivalent Methods for PM 2.5 and Ambient Air Quality Surveillance for Particulate Matter – Final Rule
EPA Revised Particulate Matter Standards – Fact sheets
Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter –
EPA 600/P – 95/001af
DustWatch fall-out dust monitoring, sampling and assessment procedure manual – DustWatch CC
ASTM D1739 – American Standard Test Method
Strategy for Landfill Designs in Arid Regions – Anwar Al-Yagout & Frank Townsend ASCE
Numerous routine reports & investigative reports