THE first continuous ambient air quality monitoring station in Paarl was launched by the MEC for Environment, Planning and Economic Development, Tasneem Essop, on Monday. The station is situated at the Drakenstein Traffic Testing Station and will remain there for one year.
According to Essop the launching of this monitoring station by the provincial government clearly indicates its commitment and obligations with respect to air quality management across the Province.
“This monitoring station which is the first of three in the Western Cape, will allow us to conduct sound air quality monitoring of the critical air pollutants and with the additional weather data capturing system this will ensure top class scientific analysis of information.”
Essop added, “We all contribute to air pollution on a daily basis, but we are also called upon to act responsibly and to ensure that the air we breathe is not harmful to our health or the environment. This monitoring station will contribute to the science of assessing the quality of the air within the Province and will inform proper decision-making.”
Essop’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) has identified the Drakenstein Municipality as a poor ambient air area and the decision to locate the monitor in this area was a joint decision between the local authorities and the PGWC.
The monitoring of air quality over a period will place the Province in the position to assist the Municipality with evaluating the state of the environment with respect to air quality and to build its capacity in ambient air quality monitoring.
Once the three stations are fully commissioned, they will contribute to and augment the current monitoring systems operated by the City of Cape Town and industries within the Province.
The launch fulfilled the PGWC’s obligation in terms of the National Environmental Management and Air Quality Act.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning purchased all the necessary equipment to set up three fully equipped continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations. The remaining two will be stationed in Saldanha Bay and the Eden District Municipality
These monitors will assist with the evaluation of air quality and will be strategically deployed across the Province on rotational basis over a five year period.
Each station will be located at a selected site for a one-year period to ensure that data from all four seasons are covered.
The monitoring station comprises an air-conditioned housing unit mounted on a chassis with wheels.
The unit is equipped with continuous analysers for the monitoring of the critical pollutants like Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3) and Particulate Matter (PM10).
The unit is complimented with a 9-metre high mask with a full range of instruments to monitor meteorological parameters, wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity. These monitors will be regularly calibrated and will be operated according to accredited procedures.
