Ambient Air Quality Monitoring

Specialist monitoring services

While STNZ specialise in industrial air discharge monitoring, Matthew also has extensive experience in ambient air quality monitoring including Ambient Particulate Matter (Deposited Dust, TSP, PM10, PM2.5 ), volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), semi volatile organic compounds (SVOC’s) and a range of gaseous compounds (CO, NOx, SO2) using both continuous and passive devices.

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring

STNZ is able to offer the following ambient air quality monitoring services and is continually increasing the scope of IANZ accredited methods:

Particulate Matter:

  • High and Low Volume Total Suspended Particulate’s (IANZ Accredited for HiVol, TSP)
  • High and Low Volume PM10 and PM2.5
  • High Volume Total Suspended Metals
  • Atmospheric Dust Deposition as per ISO/DIS 422.2. STNZ also has extensive experience in the analysis of collected deposited samples for contaminants such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POP’s)

High Volume PUF/XAD sampling for SVOC’s including the following IANZ accredited methods:

  • Method TO-4A Determination of pesticides and polychlorinated biphenols in ambient air using high volume polyurethane foam (PUF) sampling followed by gas chromatographic / multi detector detection (GC/MD)
  • Method TO-9A Determination of polychlorinated, polybrominated and brominated/chlorinated dibenzo-p- dioxins in ambient air
  • Method TO-13A Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air using gas chromatographic/multi detector detection (GC/MD)

Ambient VOC’s including the following methods:

  • Method TO-17 Determination of volatile organic compounds in ambient air using active sampling onto sorbent tubes (IANZ Accredited)
  • Method TO-15 Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) In Air Collected In Specially-Prepared Canisters and Analyzed by Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) (Seeking IANZ accreditation 2012)

For further information on sampling and analysis of VOC’ using TO-15, you can visit the US EPA Air Toxics Web site www.epa.gov VOC’s by passive sampler.

Source Testing NZ - Ambient air quality monitoring
Biofilter Hood | Source Testing NZ - Ambient air quality monitoring

Passive Sampling Techniques

STNZ is also experienced with a range of passive sampling techniques and recommends the use of Radiello Passive Samplers. Radiello Passive Samplers cover a wide range of contaminants including VOC’s (both CS2 and thermal desorption), nitrogen and sulphur dioxide (NO2 & SO2), ozone (O3), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid (HCl & HF), aldehydes and phenolic compounds.

For further information on these passive samplers, please visit www.epa.gov.

Smoke Testing of Old Plenum | Source Testing NZ - Ambient air quality monitoring