Air Quality Impact Assessments (AQIA)
An AQIA involves the calculation of emissions and an analysis of the potential impacts of these emissions on air quality and the receiving environment. The effect of air pollution on health and the environment is of growing concern worldwide. Increasingly rigorous legislation, combined with powerful societal pressures, are escalating our need for impartial and authoritative information on the quality of the air we all breathe.

There are many issues which need to be covered in a detailed impact assessment. Recent impact assessments undertaken by Margot Saner and Associates have dealt with issues such as:

• Impacts of criteria pollutants on human health and vegetation
• Health risk assessments of toxic pollutants
• Odour impacts
• Impacts of industrial plumes on aviation safety
• Visual amenity
• Impacts of industrial expansions

Margot Saner and Associates specialises in dealing with complex air quality problems. Each project is treated with care and individuality, which is reflected in our large number of happy regular clients.

Margot Saner and Associates has been providing emission and ambient testing services to industry and government agencies for over 16 years. We have the expertise and the equipment to characterize emissions for any air contaminants of concern, such as:

• Particulate matter (total, PM10, PM2.5)
• Heavy metals
• Gases, such as SOx, NOx, CO, CO2 , HCl, HF, Cl2 , TRS, etc.
• Semi-volatile organic compounds including dioxins, furans, PAHs, PCBs, etc.
• Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, vinyl chloride, acetates, etc.
• Opacity

We routinely conduct emission surveys for permit compliance or engineering purposes. Margot Saner and Associates also designs, procures and operates ambient air quality monitoring stations for clients. Staff have experience with specific testing programs to investigate complaints and hazards, as well as longer-term programs to establish baseline data and effects of new facilities. Our scope of services include:

• Design
• Tenders and procurement
• Installation and audits
• Data acquisition, analysis and distribution, via web pages and reports

MS&A has extensive experience with industrial emission sources and pollution control, and knowledge of regulations governing air emissions.

Tools we use to conduct impact assessments include advanced computer models for air quality dispersion. Based on MS&A extensive knowledge of dispersion modelling, the right model(s) for your specific needs can be selected to provide accurate and reliable results. Air quality models are used to simulate the dispersion of pollutants released into the atmosphere and to predict ground-level pollutant concentrations. Models can be used to assess the effects of emissions during normal plant operation and emergency events, providing information needed during project design as well as for regulatory approval.

Environmental control solutions
This division provides for the installation and monitoring of gas probes. MS&A has designed a probe specifically for the monitoring of waste sites for the migration of gases. A large amount of money has gone into the investment of the necessary equipment that is needed to measure the appropriate gases from gas probes installed at the waste site. MS&A has the following equipment:

• GA 94 (measures methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen cynide, chlorine and flow rate)
• PID (photo-ionising detector – measuring total non-methane organic compounds)
• Radiello samplers (they used to sample for specific non-methane organic compounds)
• PM 10 dust monitors

MS&A also installs and maintains weather stations on companies sites.