Some Basic Consideration in the Design of an Air Pollution Monitoring System

Abstract

Quantified air quality and meteorological information provided by an air pollution monitoring system must be geared to the legally prescribed functions of the control agency. The network must be treated as a vital component of the total integrated data system that supports agency activities in air resources management and control. It should be closely interphased with data systems for emission inventory, registration and permits, violations and complaints, fuel use, emission reduction plans, land use, demographic projections, and urban planning. Compatibility with neighboring and statewide or regionwide data systems is essential for coordination of effort, especially under episode conditions. The network should be planned on three levels, static, semi-automatic, and fully automatic, to provide monthly, daily, and up-to-the-minute measurements, respectively. Optimization of network specifications requires a three-way balance of hardware, control objectives, and agency resources (capital facilities, manpowe...