Volcanogenic SO2 and PM monitored with AQMesh

Location

Nicaragua

Environment / Location

Volcanic site

Installation

6 AQMesh pods across the site, alongside diffusion tubes

Application

Monitoring volcanic emissions of SO2 and PM

Objectives

The aim of UNRESP project is to o understand the impact of long-term elevated SO2 on the population in order to devise an early warning system for dangerously high levels of air pollution, specifically SO2 and particulate matter.

“Air pollution is a chronic and serious hazard affecting many developing countries, but there is generally very limited capability to monitor and mitigate it,” commented project leader, Dr. Evgenia Ilyinskaya who is leading the project. “Real-time data on the ground is vital for quantifying and understanding the duration, peak concentration and frequency of high air pollution episodes, which are factors that directly impact human health.”

Findings

Currently, data is not being made publicly available, but AQMesh readings are being compared to predictions from a pollution dispersion model, which has been successfully used for air pollution forecasting at other volcanic sites. The collaboration with AQMesh has also identified ways of improving the equipment for monitoring volcanogenic pollution which tends to be much more corrosive than ‘typical’ urban pollution.

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