PM10 monitoring for industrial sites

As today's regulations on dust are getting stronger due to the UK Air Quality Strategy moving into the latter stages of review, industrial sites are under more and more pressure to carry out real time dust measurements.


Particles can be formed from a variety of natural sources, such as soil or forest fires, and man-made sources including road and tyre dust, construction and quarrying activity and industrial processes.

Assess the evidence

In order to be able to abate emissions, airborne particulates must be monitored. A visit to a quarry situated near Nottingham, operated by RMC Ltd, highlighted the problems facing industries. The quarry lies very close to residential property, which has been developed since the quarry opened in 1926. An additional factor is the presence of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on quarry property which established as the quarry digs abandoned areas along the River Trent, leaving an undisturbed, unique ecological habitat which has since been invaded by many endangered species.

The quarry fitted a dust-monitoring network from Turnkey Instruments Ltd based in Northwich, Cheshire, to measure the amount of airborne dust pollution in real-time. The instrument also contains an anemometer and a sample collector. Data downloads via modems or cable telemetry to a PC, analysing the data and reports indicate whether the quarry is responsible for the levels of airborne dust present.

With such information at its fingertips, the quarry is able to assess the evidence and determine whether it is the source of complaint.


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