AGRI-FOODS

Air Quality Monitoring

AGAT Laboratories provides a full range of air services to industries and the government making us a recognized leader throughout Canada. We assist clients in achieving regulatory compliance by evaluating the effectiveness of their air monitoring management systems and providing accurate assessments for their environmental impact studies.

We specialize in source emissions testing, ambient air monitoring, meteorological monitoring, passive air monitoring and data acquisition for a range of industry sources including:

• Oil and gas processing
• Power generation
• Pulp and paper processing
• Wood products
• Waste incinerators
• Manufacturing facilities
• Urban areas
• Background rural locations

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Rigorous and comprehensive quality programs are implemented to ensure that data collected is complete, representative, accurate and defensible.

Our Quality Assurance Program is comprised of the following components:

• Daily data monitoring conducted by staff for every parameter of the past 24 hours.
• Organized Staff Training Program involving internal seminars, classroom training, field training and attendance to industry conferences.
• In-house database of sampling and monitoring procedures.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for monitoring, calibration and sampling systems.
• Automated daily zero and single-point span calibration, and monthly multi-point calibrations for continuous monitoring stations.
• Enhanced data validation services available to maximize precision.

WebAIR

This secure website is used for ambient air monitoring data applications. Some features include daily reports consisting of hourly recorded and trended calibration data. This dramatically improves the efficiency of report generation and enhances the overall alarming structure.

WebAIR capabilities result in more effective cost controls through:

• Cost effective and efficient communications.
• Efficient and quick accessibility to data.
• Exchange of technical knowledge between our staff and client personnel.

WebAIR analyzes data through its internal quality control system checks. All results are compared and reviewed for any anomalies. These are automatically flagged and highlighted in WebAIR daily reports, which allows our personnel and your personnel to effectively monitor data and system performance. WebAIR software automatically notifies all involved on the project of any errors, alerts, warnings and violations should they occur.

Wireless or land line communications enables AGAT Laboratories to poll stations on a regular basis to verify the stations’ data integrity and performance. Additionally, and maybe more importantly, the WebAIR software and our Quality Control System ensures data quality and decreases the chance of system down-time.

The WebAIR reporting software enables all monthly reports to be submitted to you electronically. The effective use of this modern communication and data transmittal technique significantly lowers paper usage and overall operating costs.

To access your WebAIR login page, click here.

Passive Monitoring

Passive Air Quality Sampler (PAQS)

Our PAQS is composed of chemically treated filters that absorb target compounds. After filters are exposed to the environment, they are analyzed in our Clean Air Laboratory to measure pollution concentrations collected for the duration of exposure.

Sampling filter media is currently available for:

• Sulphur dioxide (SO₂)
• Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S)
• Ozone (O3)
• Nitric oxide (NO) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
• BTEX

The sampling system allows for up to four samplers, consists of a rain shelter, mounting hardware and room inside for storing on-site blanks. One shelter can support duplicate sampling of two parameters.

This system provides a cost-effective method for collecting air quality data. It does not require power, making it an excellent tool for sampling in regions that are remote or local, large or small. Additionally, PAQS provides the advantage of easy operation for simple and easy sampling. The system is portable, does not require electricity, data loggers or pumps and ensures that there is no active movement of air through the sample. The sampling system has a protective rain shelter and is a cost-effective solution when conducting passive air monitoring.

Passive sampling devices operate on the principles of absorption and permeation, physically binding to the specific compounds that are being targeted. Air pollutants that are being sampled will diffuse or permeate through a semi-permeable membrane and then collect on a filter that has been chemically treated to absorb those targeted compounds. After being exposed, the sample is analyzed in the laboratory for the amount of the targeted compound collected. An average concentration is then calculated based on the duration of exposure (accounting for the effects of relative humidity, temperature and wind speed).

Applications

Passive monitoring is available for use as an alternative and complementary to the continuous monitoring analyzers in numerous applications such as:

• Measuring large areas for spatial variation of pollutant levels.
• Studying long-term trends.

Compliance or regulatory monitoring is the most common form of use. Results can be utilized in long-term trending of collected data and can be operated either independently or as part of a larger network of samplers. The PAQS can continue to be used for repeat sampling as the filters are submitted to our laboratory for analysis.

Clean Air Laboratory

Laboratory analysis for our Passive Air Quality Monitoring System is performed in our state-of-the-art, positive pressure, Clean Air Laboratory. Ventilated air is first passed through a multi-stage HEPA filtration system which removes 99.99 per cent of all particles in the air. After passing through the filtration system, the air is then directed through a chemical scrubber which removes any air contaminants such as Ozone, Hydrogen Sulphide, Sulphur Dioxide and others.

Our air laboratories are designed to meet all US EPA and European Union standard requirements for temperature and humidity, which are precisely controlled through a computerized access panel. In this way we ensure that no contamination will come into contact with the passive monitors and that our laboratory controls are of the highest quality possible.

Ambient Monitoring

Continuous Air Monitoring Stations

AGAT Laboratories maintains a large fleet of Air Monitoring stations in North America to service multiple industry types, government agencies and regional airshed monitoring programs. We offer fully equipped, ambient air quality monitoring stations on a rental or purchase basis for on-site measurement of ambient air pollutants.

These stations are equipped with the following features:

• Varied chemical monitoring configurations.
• PC-based data acquisition and control systems with enhanced remote access capabilities.
• Monthly calibration, servicing, data validation and reporting services.
• WebAIR, our online enhanced reporting and notification software.
• Single and multi-parameter monitoring configurations for; SO₂, H₂S, TRS, NO_x, NO₂, NH₃, O₃, THC, NMHC, CO, MHC, HF, NO, TSP, PM1.0, PM10, PM2.5 and VOCs.
• Custom air-conditioned and heated instrument shelter design.

Ambient monitoring stations are available for single-station and multi-station air quality monitoring networks.

Applications

• Non-point source testing
• Community exposure assessments
• Industrial Fence-line Studies
• Industrial compliance monitoring
• BTEX testing
• Ethylene testing
• Vertical and horizontal windspeed
• Wind direction
• Solar radiation
• Temperature
• CH₄

Data Acquisition Systems

Our data acquisition systems provide excellent on-site evaluation and measurement of ambient air quality data. These fully-equipped data acquisition systems include the following features:

• Single to multiple parameter ambient air configurations.
• PC-based or stand-alone data acquisition and logging systems.
• Multi-range communication options.
• Custom alarming tied into plant alarm systems.
• CSV file exports and Microsoft Excel reporting.
• Data validation, reporting services and MODBUS exports to plant DCS.
• Standard deviation alarming.
• Daily reports online via WebAIR.

Integrative Monitoring

We offer various integrated sampling programs based on drawing air through filters and absorbents for both indoor and outdoor monitoring as well as soil vapor testing.

Download our PDF brochure on our Air Quality Monitoring services.

Applications

• Environmental monitoring
• Odour profiling
• Chemical warfare agents
• Material Emission Studies

Samplers and Capabilities

We use specialized sampling techniques as per EPA TO Methods that can be supplied for multiple components including the following:

• Filters:  High volume sampling for TSP and PM10.
• PUF Tubes: High volume sampling for PCBs and PAHs.
• Sep – Pak Cartridges and Gastec Tubes: Formaldehyde and Phenol.
• SILONITE Canisters and Tedlar Bags: VOCs.

Sampling Programs

We can provide you with integrated sampling programs based on drawing air through filters and absorbents for multiple components including:

• High volume sampling for TSP and PM10 with filters.
• High volume sampling for PCB and PAH with PUF.
• Collection of whole air samples in Tedlar bags and polished Stainless Steel (i.e. SUMMA Canisters) for VOCs.
• Formaldehyde and Phenol through Sep-Pak Cartridges and Gastec Tubes.
• Specialized sampling as per EPA TO Methods.

Summa Canisters

AGAT Laboratories offers Silonite Canisters, the latest in SUMMA testing technology, for the collection of indoor, ambient and stationary air sources and soil vapor. These canisters are used for volatile organic determination in ambient indoor air by EPA TO-14A/15A- Canister Sampling.

Silonite technology increases the integrity of samples by preventing degradation by exposure to sunlight and the permeation of VOCs through the vessel walls. This allows easy shipping and storage over longer periods of time.

Meteorological Monitoring

We provide complementary and stand-alone meteorological monitoring stations that are solar-powered with PC-based or remote accessed data acquisition and data logging systems. With monthly servicing, we provide data validation and reporting services.

Applications

• Forecast poor air quality days
• Air advisories
• Air Quality Dispersion Modeling

Capabilities

• Ambient temperature
• Relative humidity
• Wind speed and direction
• Precipitation

AGAT Laboratories provides complementary and stand-alone meteorological monitoring stations with the following configurations:

• Simple: Single 10 m level wind speed and wind direction. 
• Multi-parameter/multi-level: Wind speed, wind direction, horizontal turbulence, vertical turbulence, temperature, temperature profile, barometric pressure, solar radiation, net radiation and precipitation.

Data Acquisition Systems

Our data acquisition systems provide excellent on-site evaluation and measurement of meteorological data.

Our fully-equipped data acquisition systems are capable of logging from meteorological instruments including:

• Meteorological monitoring stations
• Solar radiation\net solar radiation.
• Barometric pressure.
• Horizontal wind speed and direction.
• Vertical wind speed.
• UV – UVW wind systems.
• Multi-level temperatures.

Fugitive Emissions

AGAT Laboratories is pleased to introduce Fugitive Emissions as the latest service to be added to the Air Division. With the extensive expertise that AGAT Laboratories holds in dealing with other streams of air testing, we are well positioned to work with our clients to provide reasonable and efficient solutions to this important issue.