Posts dated "August, 2021"

Somewhere, in an innocuous looking, typically green, roadside enclosure near you, instruments will be humming away, sucking in ambient air, analysing it and recording data - day and night, week after week, year after year. But nobody is interested in that, are they? Just as long as the data keeps flowing.

Meanwhile, miles away in an office somewhere and with coffee in hand, you or your data manager, sit in front of a computer screen, browse to a website and review a graph or numbers in a table – or maybe instead of a website, a few additional keystrokes result in those hidden instruments being interrogated remotely. Either way, your air quality data appears onscreen and its looking good. You smile and move on to your next task of the day.

But what will you do if one day, like a tap running dry, your vital data suddenly stops streaming in? Who would be the first to notice? You? Your community? Local activists? What would they have to say if the outage wasn’t resolved immediately? Suppose it happened during a high pollution incident - in a location of significant community interest? Would they think you’re hiding something? How difficult could they make things for you?

The instrumentation supplying your air quality data is very likely, right at the back of your mind. As long as the data streams in reliably and continuously, there’s no reason to give them any consideration, is there? But when the tap turns off, the screen goes blank and the phone starts ringing, where do you turn?

ET sees air quality monitoring from a different perspective. We understand that when you buy air quality monitoring instruments or a service and maintenance contract from us, you’re actually buying data and peace of mind. This is why we only supply the best, most reliable and independently certified instruments; fully supported by a regionally-based team of factory-trained service engineers with over 250 years of collective experience.

We know that if you get the basics right, your data will be too. So, if you’ve invested in proven, certified, monitoring equipment, your defensible data will not only keep flowing but if the worst should happen and the data tap turns off, your service and maintenance contract with ET means that you simply pick up the phone or drop us an email and an ET expert will be there to turn it on again.

Ever since ET’s CSR committee was set up, following an inspiring CSR day held by one of our forward thinking suppliers some years ago, we have been committed to supporting environmental and conservation charities. Including: The Woodland Trust, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Cotswold Canal Trust and South West Ambulance Service.

Now, following the massive strain on the NHS throughout 2020 – 2021, we feel it’s fitting to support an NHS charity this time round. And now, after making an initial donation to Cheltenham and Gloucester hospitals charity in June, we are busy planning some fundraising ideas so that we can continue support this worthy cause.

When they’re not coming up with fundraising initiatives, ET’s CSR committee look for ways to lower ET’s impact on the environment and seek out ways to make a positive difference in the places ET operate, and in the lives of our employees.

Below are a few of the recent CSR initiatives ET and it's employees have been involved in.

As many businesses and environment bodies around the UK prepared for Clean Air Day 2021, ET’s zero emissions air quality laboratory - the Smogmobile, was no exception. 

After a thorough check over of all it’s highly sensitive analysers, the Smogmobile took to the road ahead of June 17th to do some preparatory analysis of air quality at Upton St Leonard Primary School in Gloucestershire, at morning drop off. Pupils were asked to walk, cycle or scoot to school so a comparison study could be performed a week later on CAD 2021.

During the school's assembly ET’s MD, Duncan Mounsor, gave a virtual presentation about the dangers of air pollution and the small actions we can all take to reduce it. On CAD itself, a truck with an idling engine delivering to the school showed up as a huge spike in emissions, illustrating how there’s no place for idling engines, especially near schools!

Two days ahead of CAD Duncan took the Smogmobile down to Westminster to measure modern urban pollutants including NO₂ and PM₁₀ & PM_2.5. The study was commissioned by Westminster City Council in conjunction with The Northbank BID as part of their ‘Air Quality Action Day’ initiative. Initially monitoring at The Strand and later at Regents St, it was able to provide real time measurements of nitrogen dioxide emissions, particulates and black carbon to highlight the risks created by pollution from vehicles and engine idling.

Westminster City Council are working hard to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions through their diesel surcharge scheme and #Don’tbeidle campaign. 

ET received a lovely email of thanks the following day...

ET take pride in helping these kind of initiatives raise community awareness. 

Luckily with the Smogmobile we have the perfect tools to do just that!

ET have already taken a number of booking enquiries for the Smogmobile for Clean Air Day 2022.

You can see Duncan Mounsor talk about how the Smogmobile monitored pollution for Westminster City Council and The Northbank BID in the video below.

For more information on the Smogmobile, check out our brochure.

With indoor air quality being more topical than ever, ET are pleased to announce that our long-standing supplier for indoor air quality monitoring products, GrayWolf Sensing Solutions, have performed upgrades to the GrayWolf DirectSense® II probes so they now connect via Bluetooth LE wireless to Apple and Android devices.

The highly reliable, adaptable DSII probes for indoor air quality (IAQ) and toxic gas testing/monitoring have Apps for iOS and Android operating systems available (free) on the Apple and Google App stores.

You can now use your smartphone or tablet as a multi-parameter display, data-logger and far more.

Choose from over 25 highly accurate, smart indoor air quality, green building, industrial hygiene, and HVAC sensors including TVOCs (PID), Carbon Dioxide (NDIR), Ozone (electrochemical), CO, NO₂, NH₃, SO₂, NO, C_l2, H₂S, HCN, HCl, O₂, H₂, %RH, °C/°F and many others.

Each probe accommodates from two, up to eight, true plug-and-play sensors into a single handheld, desktop, or wall-mounted housing. Proven sensors offer low limits of detection and exceptional accuracy.

Store “snapshot” logs during walk-throughs or set up logging over time at the interval of your choice on the smartphone. Display up to eight real-time readings simultaneously or show trend graphs on your screen.

Feature-rich, the smartphones can add photos, videos, text, audio notes and more directly to data files for efficient, reliable documentation. On-board educational info will be added soon, such as help videos, sensor, and feature tips. Easily e-mail logged data, with all notes attached, and utilise GrayWolf’s WolfSense® PC software for download, graphing and analysis, or optional Advanced Report Generator for automated, detailed reports and custom report template creation.

Where other manufacturers have prioritised convenience over performance, GrayWolf’s extensive development effort was put into assuring that the sensor smartboards would not introduce noise or degrade accuracy, stability, or limits of detection (LODs) for the convenience of end-user swappable sensors.

The full range of GrayWolf’s indoor air quality products can be purchased in the UK and Ireland from Enviro Technology Services.

View our Indoor Air Quality products here.

View the GrayWolf DirectSense Brochure here.

Digitel AG is a world-renowned manufacturer of specialist, high-quality, automatic air samplers for both high and low volume air monitoring applications. Meeting the technical performance and quality assurance requirements for use on regulatory networks worldwide, Digitel samplers are also suitable for PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ measurements according to EN12341:2014. 

As one might expect from a precision Swiss manufacturer, Digitel instruments are supremely well engineered and have a reputation for quality, high reliability and long life in the field.

Digitel Fact File

• Digitel is a family business, started in 1970 by Dölf Muther
• It employs 17 people in Switzerland and 2 in Austria
• Digitel’s main office is in Volketswil, Switzerland (in the greater Zurich area)

Located in the heart of Europe, Zurich is one of the most important economic, cultural, and social centres of Switzerland. Situated on the shore of Lake Zurich, with the Alps on the horizon, the city is both historic and diverse, and the surrounding areas provide numerous exciting and relaxing recreation areas for locals and visitors alike.

The two most popular Digitel samplers sold by Enviro Technology in the UK and Ireland are the DHA-80 High Volume and DPA-14 Low Volume samplers. These types of samplers are used on several of the UK’s Defra national regulatory networks as well as at several university ‘super-sites’ including, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

DIGITEL Aerosol Sampler DHA-80
High volume sampler (HVS) for autonomous, continuous measurements.

• Flow rate: 420 – 600 l/min.
• Optional flow rate: 100 – 1000 l/min.
• Accuracy of measured flow rate: <+/- 2%
• Suction blower average lifespan: 36,000 hours
• Number of filters: 15, automatically changed on pre-programmed basis
• Filter size: 150 mm diameter
• Built within IP54 rated external field housing OR 19” rack mounted
• Optional compressor for cooled sample storage
• USB, RS232, Ethernet, RS485, GSM module (option)
• PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM_1.0, TSP inlet heads available
• PAH cartridges (single or 4 cartridge automatic)
• Many other options – widely configurable
• For PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ measurements according to EN12341

DIGITEL Aerosol Sampler DPA-14
Low volume sampler (LVS) for autonomous, continuous measurements.

• Automatic filter changer for 24 filters
  
• Filter diameter 47 mm
• Constant and precise flow: 5 – 50 l/min
• Volume flow control accuracy: <2%
• Mean life of suction unit >16,000 hours
• Built within IP54 rated external field housing
• Ambient temperature and pressure sensor
• TSP, PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM_1.0 inlets available
• For PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ measurements according to EN12341:2014
• Wide range of options and accessories
• Fully programmable touchscreen operation
• Optional compressor for cooled sample storage
• USB, RS232, Ethernet, RS485, GSM module (option)

Click here for further details on the Digitel DHA-80

Click here for further details on the Digitel DHA-14

And for more information the DHA-80, DPA-14 and all other Digitel products visit: www.digitel-ag.com