Air monitoring

We need to understand and control the effects of our air emissions.

We employ experts to measure the air quality at La Granja,  Mitobamba, Quipayuc, Querocoto, La Palma, Paraguay, El Sauce, and Pagaibamba, which fall within the environmental baseline study area.

What purpose does an air quality study serve?

An air quality study is aimed at measuring the amount of dust and gases emitted that are regulated by law. There are two "kinds" of dust, distinguished by their size.

1. PM-10:  small particles of dust, smaller than ten micro meters in diameter.  These particles are six times smaller than a human hair.  They are important because they can enter the lungs, as they cannot be filtered by the nose.
2. Total Suspended Particles (TSP): all the dust in the air, including both small and big particles.

What gases do we measure?

• Hydrogen sulfide: generated from the decomposition of organic matter - smells like rotten eggs.
• Sulfur dioxide: generated by burning fuels and when material such as sulphur is heated, for example in refineries.
• Carbon monoxide: generated by burning motor fuel.
• Nitrogen oxides: generated by burning motor fuel.
• Ozone: generated when several vehicle engines are running on a sunny day.

What environmental regulation do we consider for measuring air quality?

We measure air samples against the Peruvian Government's Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs).

How do we measure dust and gas?

• To measure dust, we use a special instrument to suck air for a set period of time (usually 24 hours). The instrument traps dust on paper. We then measure the amount of dust on the paper to determine the volume of dust in the air.
• To measure gases, we also use instruments to suck air.  We analyze the physical and chemical properties in gases from the samples.

How long is air measured at each site?

We leave the measuring instruments at each site for approximately 30 days to record changes resulting from varying weather and wind conditions, and human activity.