How We Monitor

The Fort Air Partnership operates eight continuous air monitoring stations, and 30 passive air sampling sites. From September 2004 to September 2005, a year long monitoring study was undertaken with Environment Canada to monitor the of volatile organic compounds at six sites around the Fort Saskatchewan area. For more information about this study, click here.

Continuous analyzer stations draw ambient air into a variety of instruments, which analyze the air for specific components. Weather conditions are also monitored continuously at these stations. Passive samplers are much lower cost than continuous analyzers, and because they do not have any power requirements, they can be used in remote locations. Passive samplers allow for the uptake of air via a permeative or diffusive process. There are specific samplers for specific different substances. Passive samplers are collected on a monthly basis and the samplers are then sent for laboratory analysis. The Fort Air Partnership established a network of 10 passive samplers in June 2006, monitoring for ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. In January 2006, 20 sites were added, monitoring for sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.