9/12/13

Mobile air quality monitors to visit neighbourhoods soon

Publication: The Times Of India Chennai;Date: Sep 11, 2013;Section: Times City;Page: 5

Mobile air quality monitors to visit neighbourhoods soon

Residents Can Call For Checks; 6 Roving Samplers Bought
Arun Janardhanan TNN
Chennai: Now Chennaiites can dial the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to bring a mobile air sampler to
measure the quality of air.
The citys air pollution status was based on samples collected from a four or five places in Chennai. But with mobile
monitors, all neighbourhoods can know their pollution levels. The board has procured six movable high volume air
samplers, producing accurate pollution data from anywhere in the city. TNPCB spent around 1 crore on the six pieces.
TNPCB chairman D Karthikeyan said the new air pollution monitors will be deployed in different locations on a
rotational basis. Communities who suspect higher pollution levels can approach us to check levels in their
neighbourhoods, he said.
Senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) officials said these monitors will help experts broadcast more accurate
data. Air pollution, intensity of surface dust and other pollutants of vehicular emission will be checked at regular
intervals, said a CPCB official. These monitors are designed to measure the respirable suspended particulate matter
(RSPM) in the atmosphere.
In high volume air samplers, glass fibre filter papers filter the air. Pollutants, both carbonic particles from vehicular
emission and surface dust, leave marks on the papers. After eight hours, the weight of the paper filters increases due to
pollutants. Accurate pollution intensity is assessed by the quantity of air passed through the paper and the weight
difference of the glass filter paper before and after the test.
TNPCB monitors will be running eight hour shifts, and data from three shifts will decide the days average pollution
data. A glass filter paper weighing less than three grams costs around 100. TNPCB currently monitors air pollution at five
locations using fixed monitors.
BREATHE FREE
MOBILE MONITORS WILL HELP RESIDENTS KNOW THE POLLUTION LEVELS IN THEIR AREA
TNPCB has procured 6 movable high volume air samplers
The units give pollution data from
anywhere in the city These will be deployed in different locations on a rotational basis Five real-time monitoring stations
will be acquired to transmit pollution data online

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9/12/13

Mobile air quality monitors to visit neighbourhoods soon

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