QTT Offers Transportation Gas Sensing Solutions
The Future: A Green Transportation System
No matter where you live you are impacted by the pollution we produce. Our roadway transportation system is the leading producer of Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, and surface level Zone. Why is this a concern? Living near major roadways has been associated with numerous adverse health effects:
- Cardio-respiratory effects (e.g., asthma, bronchitis)
- Adverse birth outcomes/developmental effects
- Premature mortality
- Cardiovascular effects
- Childhood cancer
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommends the measurement of weather and meteorological parameters, as well as air quality and traffic monitoring, because of the complex mixture of pollutants associated with transportation systems. The new AQM 60 system measures many of the pollutants considered harmful by the EPA, including:
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
- Ozone (O3)
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
Environmental awareness is on the minds of many agencies, and QTT has seen a growing interest from customers needing to monitor air quality and vehicle emissions near roadways.
The AQM 60 (manufactured by Aeroqual Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand) is a complete air quality monitoring system designed to measure a wide range of air quality parameters in a cost-effective, compact package. The AQM 60 integrates with RWIS (Road Weather Information System), advisory radio systems, and ITS software platforms to provide weather, traffic and air quality data on one system. This allows customers to not only mitigate and control pollutant levels, but also save costs by combining their weather and traffic monitoring with the air quality system. The air quality data can be reviewed at the same time the customer is monitoring their existing weather or traffic data.
With the AQM 60, decision-makers are alerted when unsafe levels of gases are present, and corrective action can be taken. Monitoring air quality near roadways can assist with pollution mapping and control; detecting emissions from traffic flow, in tunnels, and near construction projects; environmental impact assessments, urban land use planning and community health programs (alerting the public about poor air quality).
