Exposure Science: Monitoring Environmental Contaminants

Abstract

In simple words, the careful study and observation of the environment can be called environmental monitoring. Often, the first step in monitoring is to measure discharges at the points of release for air- and waterborne toxic releases. Subsequent steps involve understanding the movement and transport of key contaminants within the given environmental media; their transfer from one medium to another; and changes in their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. In all practical cases, there is often a trade-off between the monitoring costs (in terms of instruments and manpower, number of samples, and sensitivity of analytical methods) associated with the contaminants and the degree of information that can be collected regarding the distribution, transport, and fate of the contaminants in different environmental media. Routine monitoring is carried out by various agencies for pollutants in air, water, or soil. In some situations, a specific environmental monitoring exercise may be carried out, such as measurement of noise level at a major traffic intersection; measurement of radioactivity inside and in the vicinity of a nuclear facility; monitoring of radon gas in the basement of houses; and measurement of electromagnetic radiation (ionizing and nonionizing) emanating from mobile phones, indoor air-cleaners (ionizers), microwave ovens, and bluetooth devices.