Due to centuries of overuse and exploitation and the recent industrialization of the manufacturing process, the planet is undergoing a rapid decline. Temperatures are rising, forests are disappearing, and people and animals alike are suffering.
The planet is quickly becoming rife with problems and health risks. Among these risks is the rapid increase of dust particles in the air and the places we inhabit.
This is where dust monitoring, a trailblazing sanitation method, comes in.
Why Should You Care About Dust?
Before getting into the nitty-gritty areas of dust monitoring, it is crucial to understand why people should monitor dust in the first place.
Believe it or not, dust is more than just a pesky aspect of cleaning and sanitation. Dust also has adverse effects on people’s individual and communal health and even the planet’s health.
Dust levels affect the global and regional climate. Under the right circumstances, airborne dust can act similarly to the greenhouse effect. They reduce the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface by absorbing and scattering it.
Dust particles can also act as “condensation nuclei,” or the particle where condensation begins in the atmosphere. What this does is either create warm clouds or cold clouds, which affect the amount and location of precipitation.
Dust particles can also affect the agriculture industry negatively. Too many dust deposits can kill or bury seedlings, increase soil erosion, and reduce plants’ photosynthesis.
Aside from this, dust can also affect transportation by reducing visibility and covering routes. It also affects the quality of rivers and streams.
Lastly, dust particles adversely interact with people’s health. Dust is associated with a wide range of health problems, from eye and skin irritation to respiratory and cardiovascular disorders.
What is Dust Monitoring?
Put simply, dust monitoring is the act or process of determining how much dust is present in a particular area. Smaller spaces such as your office or house, and larger areas like cities and towns, can be subjected to this measurement.
Dust monitoring utilizes various tools and equipment to accurately calculate just how dusty a specific space is. It employs state-of-the-art techniques and technology, such as LiDAR.
There are two types of dust monitoring, namely Particulate Matter Monitoring (also known as PM10 Monitoring) and Respirable Dust Monitoring. PM10 Monitoring measures particles which are 10 micrometres in diameter or less, such as salts, smoke, and soot. Respirable Dust Monitoring measures dust that can reach up to the respiratory system’s gas exchange region, such as dust containing free crystalline silica.
What Is the Importance of Dust Monitoring?
So, why should dust be monitored? Dust monitoring helps private entities, like manufacturers, assess their businesses’ health risks to their employees and the surrounding communities.
It is also a useful tool for local and national governments to determine their constituents’ living conditions.
Dust monitoring can help minimize the risk of illnesses, infections, and irritations. It can also help with the climate change situation by providing valuable insight into the level of climate-altering dust in a particular area.
There is no denying the fact that the planet is dying. However, with simple and easily applicable steps, private and public entities can do their part in stopping the planet’s decline.
