How the Air Quality Monitoring network works in the Pacific Islands

Air Quality Monitoring Network in the Pacific Islands

Sakhalin Island, situated between Japan and Russia, is a great example of the site with 34 CityAir monitoring posts located in 23 urban entities.

The network covers all major urban areas of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands and uses CityAir Software for Pollution Index and Pollutants concentration calculations.

Objective

Local Ministry of natural resources and environmental protection and CityAir have agreed on a Equipment-as-a-Service model which allowed to have quick launch at minimal equipment costs.

Key client's requirements — equipment supply and installation, full service coverage, air quality data visualisation and its real time transmission to authorities and population.

The region initiated the network launch to improve its touristic ratio and attractiveness both for national and foreign visitors, to keep local population well informed about air quality and have an efficient alert tool for any negative air quality fluctuations especially in city areas, for example, in no-wind-weather cases or during intensive industrial emission cycles.

The network deployment and further administration was toughened by quite low transport accessibility of some urban entities both in Sakhalin and Kurils, but nevertheless the key goal to have the equipment in all major urban areas was successfully reached by CityAir team.

Solution

CityAir deployed an Air Quality Monitoring Network with 34 posts in 23 urban entities including hard-to-reach Okha (200 km to the nearest railway) and Severo-Kurilsk — most remote place in the area. Our team ensures operation, control, calibration of the System and non-stop process of data transmission.

Population may get an easy access to Air Quality Data through air.sakhalin.gov.ru and consider it in the form of EPA AQI per every urban entity.

Ministry’s officials receive more detailed and specified data through CityAir App where access is granted to authorized personnel. Professional data has a more specific profile and is mainly intended for ecologists and authorities. For example, it displays not only general pollution level marked with the relevant index, but data as per every station with details over five gases and two fine particulate matters and possibility to have those compared with reference to different stations and locations.

This provides proper correction procedures for managerial decisions and more efficient actions towards air quality protection. For example, already at pilot stage CityAir Monitor based in the capital city helped to identify rapid fluctuations in dust level and the city authorities improved city streets cleaning procedures to lower the dust concentrations.

Informing population

CityAir team has developed a unique combined air quality index — it is based on international scale 0 to 500, but to make it more convenient the final result is scaled between 1 and 10, which is much easier for comprehension.

At the web page air.sakhalin.gov.ru any user may see the current or historical index per every Sakhalin city where there is a CityAir Monitor. Historical data is being divided in periods of 4 hours.

Data for Official Use

Data receipt, procession and its further transmission and visualisation is being done with dedicated CityAir Platform with access of authorized personnel of the Ministry of Ecology.

Web application helps authorized personnel to treat key air quality parameters, install alerts for any critical points, follow the emission sources and receive any useful information for relevant environmental protection actions.

CityAir — a tool for manager and ecologist

Map — atmospheric profile of urban area

The map provides full daily report on every change in pollutants concentrations during the day which allows to follow incidents and trace emission sources. Data is being renewed every 20 minutes.

The map displays all Monitoring posts of Sakhalin region with reference to certain geographical location.

Post signs demonstrate the general Air Quality Index at the location defined. The user may adjust the following parameters to be displayed— CO, NO, NO₂, NS, SO₂, Ammonium, Formaldehyde, particulate matters PM 10 and PM 2.5

With the comparative option the user may compare data from different locations and period and create relevant reports.

MAC level exceedance notification — prompt reaction on any ecological incident

CityAir Web App allows to adjust notifications for any MAC level exceedance at any location with reference to any gas, substance and concentration parameters.

Network administration and management

CityAir takes full responsibility for equipment maintenance, service, verification and calibration.

Notification centre allows to adjust many options and the user may define the posts to stay informed about battery life, data transmission and calibration.