Air quality monitoring station installed in Ballito

Dolphin Coast residents will welcome the news that the quality of the air we breathe is being closely monitored.

The KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) recently installed a continuous air quality monitoring station in Ballito at the Ilembe Enterprise offices.

Department spokesperson Bongani Tembe said this was in line with efforts to safeguard the constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to health and well-being.

Tembe explained that the station would be used to provide a baseline for air quality in the area.

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These ambient standards will then provide the benchmark for air quality management and governance.

“The department together with municipalities utilise these legislative tools to license industries and ensure that they comply with the minimum emission standards; ensure that facilities are reporting their emissions to the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory; conduct health impact studies; and ensure that the ambient air quality standards and dust control standards are not exceeded by conducting ambient air quality monitoring.”

Stations such as this one will be used to assist the department in identifying problem areas in KZN.

It joins similar installations in KwaDukuza and one planned for Mandeni.

He said the dust and passive sampling study results for Ilembe together with complaints from the public had prompted the department to conduct continuous ambient air quality monitoring in these areas.

The air quality station is equipped with chemical cell technology and is measuring particulate matter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the total volatile organic compounds (VOC); it also has a weather station measuring wind speed, direction and temperature.

The Mandeni station is planned for commissioning in January.

“The stations are planned to monitor the air quality for several years and will assist authorities to study the air quality trends and seasonal variations.

Linda van Heerden, a resident of Sheffield, said she was happy to hear the department was taking their concerns seriously.

“For years we have been suffering from respiratory problems because of the pollution etc in the air so it is good to see that someone finally seems to want to do something about it.”

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