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ADDRESS Unit 32, DeGranville Court, Dublin Rd, Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland
PHONE (353) 046-9437922
FAX (353) 046-9483696
EMAIL info@odourireland.com

Odour Monitoring Ireland Services: Ambient Air Monitoring

Particulates PM10 & PM2.5 Monitoring

The effects of inhaling particulate matter has been widely studied in humans and animals and include asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular issues, and premature death. The size of the particle is a main determinant of where in the respiratory tract the particle will come to rest when inhaled. Larger particles are generally filtered in the nose and throat and do not cause problems, but particulate matter smaller than about 10 micrometres, referred to as PM10, can settle in the bronchi and lungs and cause health problems. The 10 micrometer size does not represent a strict boundary between respirable and non-respirable particles, but has been agreed upon for monitoring of airborne particulate matter by most regulatory agencies. Similarly, particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, PM2.5, tend to penetrate into the gas-exchange regions of the lung, and very small particles (< 100 nanometers) may pass through the lungs to affect other organs. In particular, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that PM2.5 leads to high plaque deposits in arteries, causing vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis - a hardening of the arteries that reduces elasticity, which can lead to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems. Researchers suggest that even short-term exposure at elevated concentrations could significantly contribute to heart disease.

PM10 Airborne particulate matter (PM) consists of many different substances suspended in air in the form of particles (solids or liquid droplets) that vary widely in size. The particle mix in most countries is dominated by fine particles (less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) generated by combustion sources, with smaller amounts of coarse dust (between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter).

Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter that includes both fine and coarse dust particles pose the greatest health concern because they can pass through the nose and throat and get into the lungs which have severe health effects on the respiratory tract.

Particles larger than 10 micrometers in diameter that are suspended in the air are referred to as total suspended particulates (TSP).  These larger particles can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat in some people, but they are not likely to cause more serious problems since they do not get down into the lungs.

Odour Monitoring Ireland provide PM10 & PM2.5 monitoring services.

Volatile Organic Compounds, NO2 and SO2 Monitoring

A wide range of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) such the BTEX grouping can be monitored.

BTEX is an acronym that stands for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. These compounds are some of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in petroleum derivatives such as petrol (gasoline). Toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes have harmful effects on the central nervous system. BTEX compounds are notorious due to the contamination of soil and groundwater with these compounds. This typically occurs near petroleum and natural gas production sites, and petrol stations and other areas with Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) or Above-ground Storage Tanks (ASTs) containing gasoline or other petroleum-related products. We can tailor VOC monitoring too any specific requirements.

Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula NO2. It is one of the several nitrogen oxides. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odour. NO2 is one of the most prominent air pollutants.

Sulphur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SO2. SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide.

Odour Monitoring Ireland provide a large range of air monitoring services for the compounds listed above and many more depending on your specific requirements. We supply Passive diffusion tube monitoring for VOC's and classical air pollutants such as NOx, SO2, Carbon monoxide, BTEX, etc. and or Active sampling for a large range of speciated VOC's.