Launched in October 1998, it was a project developed by the Mauritius Cane Industry Authority (formerly Mauritius Sugar Authority). A team, comprising of one Air Monitoring Officer, one Technical Assistant, one General Worker and a Heavy Vehicle Driver is permanently attached to the Air Monitoring Unit. Expert from USA (EMET Services) and UK (Monitor Labs Inc) provided training to the Air Monitoring Team.
The Air Monitoring Unit has the competency to perform the following test:
1. Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) monitoring using an environmental mobile laboratory.
2. Continuous Source Emission Monitoring (CEM) using another environmental mobile laboratory.
3. Particulate Matter (PM) sampling from stack emission using portable equipments
4. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring using portable handheld instruments.
All the tests are performed as per US EPA Standards.
Awareness of the harmful effects of various air pollutants on materials, living organisms, and health has given rise to air pollution control. Both developed and undeveloped countries have been actively involved in this type of control and Mauritius as well is participating in this global effort to minimise or limit emission with the help of the Air Pollution Monitoring facility of the MCIA.
Ambient air quality monitoring is the monitoring of the quality of the air which people breathe. An automated system equipped with analysers, measure the following parameters:
1. SO2(sulphur dioxide),
2. NOx(oxides of nitrogen),
3. O3 (ground level ozone),
4. CO (carbon monoxide),
5. PM10(particulate matter below 10 microns in size, per cubic metre),
6. TSP (Total Suspended Solid Particles)
Measurements are based on dry absorption emissions methods. The system is also equipped with meteorological sensors for wind direction, wind speed, humidity and atmospheric temperature and pressure. The analysers give real time measurements, which can be averaged over 15 minutes or more and stored in a data logger. Remote sensing of these data can also be made through a modem using the GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) technology.
This type of monitoring consists of analysing gaseous emissions from stationary sources, such as factory chimneys. This system is an automated mobile laboratory equipped with analysers for gaseous emissions such as:
1. SO2 (sulphur dioxide)
2. NOx(oxides of nitrogen)
3. CO (carbon monoxide)
4. CO2(carbon dioxide)
5. O2(residual oxygen)
Sampling is made directly from a port, with a probe inserted into the stack via a heated sample line to give unbiased readings.
Figure 1 – Continuous source emission monitoring
Figure 1 – Continuous source emission monitoring
Particulate Matter (PM) is fine solid particles emitted together with the flue gas from chimneys.
PM concentration in flue gas is determined using a computerised High Volume Sampler (Figure 2).
The sampling is performed iso-kinetically (sampling at the same speed as the flue gas speed) through a probe inserted in the stack.
Figure 2 – High Volume Sampler
Figure 2 – High Volume Sampler
Indoor air quality (IAQ) broadly refers to the environmental characteristics inside buildings that may affect human health, comfort, or work performance. We monitor IAQ because we spend approximately 90% of our time breathing “indoor air”. Poor IAQ contributes to both short and long term health issues which can lead to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism. Portable equipments (Figure 5) are used to measure the following Indoor air quality parameters:
1. Room Temperature & Humidity
2. Ventilation air flow
3. Carbon Dioxide
4. Respirable & Inhalable Dust Particles
5. Total Volatile Organic Compounds
6. Formaldehyde
7. Carbon Monoxide
The Air Pollution Monitoring Unit receives requests for performing air quality tests from various organisations every year. The requests come from a wide range of industrial activities including sugar factories, Textile factories, Chemical factories, Cement processing factories, Stone crushing plants and others. These tests are performed as per various requirements, namely:
1. Assessment of compliance to environmental guidelines and/or standards.
2. Assessment of efficiency of boiler or power plant. (Need to modify air/fuel ratio)
3. Assessment of efficiency of existing pollution control equipment.
4. Use of primary data for the design of a new pollution control system.
5. Research
6. Covers a wide variety of industrial areas (Sugar, Chemical, Textile, Cement / Stone Crushing Plants, Consulting Engineers…)
| Name | Position |
| Mrs. K. Cahoolessur | Manager, Policy and Planning Department |
Air Monitoring Unit Mauritius Cane Industry Authority Moka Road Reduit
Tel: (+230) 454 1061
Mob: (+230) 5257 6547
Fax: (+230) 464 5345
airmonitoring@mcia.mu