10/10/2016
Currently, air quality is having signs of pollution due to socio-economic development activities. Therefore, enhancement in application of advanced scientific and technological results in air quality management is necessary. In recent years, the Environmental Source Samplers Incs Company (ESS) has promoted the cooperation with Việt Nam on scientific and technological transfer in air emission control, which contributes towards sustainable environmental protection. To find out about the development of the monitoring service, Environment Magazine had an interview with Mr. Mark D.Looney - Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Representative of ESS Company in Việt Nam on this issue.
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| Mr. Mark Looney, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Representative of the ESS Company in Việt Nam |
Can you tell us some activities of the Company on air monitoring service development?
Mr. Mark D.Looney: ESS is an international consultancy firm on environment, established in 1979 in the United States (North Carolina). Currently, the Company has six representative offices located in four countries: Việt Nam (two offices in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh city), the Philippines (Manila), China (Guangzhou), and Korea (Seoul). ESS Company specializes in providing air emission monitoring service and measurement at source, application of advanced technology, with modern equipment system, data collection software and air conditioning system.
In Asia, ESS Company implements the installation of sample collection facilities from chimneys of industrial factories; inside and outside air environmental analysis of industrial entities; assess the productivity in thermal power factories; install continuous air monitoring system at source, a compulsory system for industrial factories; design, install, and operate the continuous surrounding environmental monitoring system; organize training courses for environmental monitoring staff on industrial waste measurement…The equipment system of the Company always follow strictly the International Standards on Environment such as the volume and turbidity monitoring system follows the regulations of emission and monitoring procedures (CEMS AMP - cherokee); dust density continuous monitoring system (CEMS); air quality sensor measurement equipment (Aeroqal)… On the other hand, environmental monitoring equipment of the Company can continuously measure popular air pollutants such as O3, NO2, CO… and provide meteorological parameters such as rain, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction. This equipment system is installed in connection with a network, in combination with remote data collection to form the surrounding environment monitoring system, which is appropriate for cities or industrial zones. In addition, the Company also provides 24/24 electronic data systems, sends monitoring reports direct to customers with contents: findings, sample location, field data table, operation data, laboratory data and calibration.
To ensure quality requirements, the Company has a laboratory located in Hà Nội of 21 m2 meeting requirements of sample analysis such as: dust, metal, mercury analysis; calibration of SO2, H2S, H2SO4; compounds analysis by ion and identification of reaction constituents of compounds. With the objective of having air quality testing, sampling and reporting in accordance with international standards, the Company will ensure strict confidential data according to ISO/IEC 17025 technical parameter.
To manage air quality, Việt Nam needs to enhance advanced scientific and technological application. Can you introduce some technologies on air monitoring and surveillance system applied by the Company in Việt Nam?
Mr. Mark D.Looney: Việt Nam is at the level of serious air pollution, which directly affects human health, particularly in dense populated areas such as Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh city. In Hà Nội, the air pollution is increasing due to many causes, including mostly due to the increase in the number of cars and motorbikes. In addition, construction works also contribute to increase the dust concentration. According to data of the Environment Monitoring Centre (VietNam Environment Administration), the level of PM10 and PM2,5 increases significantly in some periods.
Therefore, to manage air quality, Hà Nội in particular and Việt Nam in general need to install the continuous surrounding air environment monitoring system to monitor pollution factors. Currently, the ESS Company has established the air environment monitoring system at the US Embassy in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh city; United Nations International School in Ciputra - Hà Nội; Natural Resources and Environment Institute in Bình Dương province; Outstanding advantage of this system is to support schools and organisations to update surrounding environment indicators that directly affect health such as TSP, PM2,5, PM10… from which to set plans or measures to adjust daily activities; through which contributing to enhance awareness of local people on the importance of air quality and to support managers to develop effective environmental protection policies and solutions.
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In recent years, the Company has implemented many typical projects on treatment of particularly hazardous air samples which bring many benefits to the community. Can you tell us the results as well as challenges, difficulties of the Company when implement this project?
Mr. Mark D.Looney: From 2005 until now, ESS Company has implemented many projects on environmental monitoring, typically the project of collecting special and hazardous air emission samples in off-shore areas. The project was contracted by the United States Environmental Monitoring Centre, with the objective to classify affected land areas, measure air emission from the treatment process, monitor the surrounding air monitoring in contaminated land area, package and transport samples, and to report parameters that reach safe levels. When implementing the project, the Company also faced some challenges such as: the project located in a far area, hot climate, temperature pressures on engineers, no commercial services. This is a project having strict surveillance from the management agency. After one year of implementation, the project has gained positive results; toxic chemicals and pollutants in this area were treated reaching safe levels and causing no effects on human, flora and fauna.
Another project was also highly assessed which is the project on testing air emission before putting the Ethanol Factory in East Europe into operation. This project was funded by the Multilateral Development Bank (America) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The objective of the project is to test the air emission before putting into operation of different components of the Factory, including: biological ethanol manufacturing area, Power Factory, Drying, truck frame and thermal oxidization, CO2 absorption factories; study on the environment surrounding the Factory area. However, when implementing, the project faced some challenges such as: the project is located in a remote area of East Europe, with difficult topography therefore equipment transportation and traffic is difficult. However, the results of collected samples and the air environment surrounding the Factory all meet safe levels. When under operation, every year, the Factory consumes 575 thousand tonnes of corns, produces 240 litres of biological ethanol and produces 175 thousand tonnes of dry distilled corn seeds, creates jobs for 680 labourers.
In the upcoming time, what activities the Company will implement to promote scientific and technological transfer in air control in Việt Nam?
Mr. Mark D.Looney: Việt Nam has improved legislations on environmental monitoring service development, while creating a healthy competitive environment, to be appropriate with the socialization orientation of environmental monitoring services. These are favourable conditions for the Company to implement its long-term plan in Việt Nam. Particularly, recently in Hà Nội, the Vietnam Environment Administration and ESS Company have collaborated to organize the workshop on application of advance technology in air quality management.
In the upcoming time, ESS Company will implement the environmental monitoring cooperation program with Việt Nam, in order to enhance exchanges with advanced technologies and techniques in the environmental area; through which promoting technological transfer cooperation in air emission control in Việt Nam, as well as finding opportunities for development and capacity enhancement of each side.
Furthermore, annually, the Company will regularly organize workshops, which are connections to new equipment and methods on environmental monitoring from different organisations in the United States or Europe for further development in Asia in general and in Việt Nam in particular. In addition, the Company will organize training courses for environmental monitoring staff of Việt Nam conducted by leading environment engineers from the United States.
On the other hand, ESS Company has developed dialogue channels with Viet Nam environment managers, from which ESS can provide consultancy for effective environmental protection policies to management organisations and agencies■
Thank you!
Châu Loan
(Implemented)
