Perfect timing for Air Quality & Emissions event

Phil Black - PII Editor 20/04/2017

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AQE 2017 will take place in Telford (UK) on 24th and 25th May at a time when the health effects of air pollution are constantly in the headlines, and when the UK Government is due to consult on its latest plans to comply with air quality guidelines in the UK’s larger towns and cities. Registration for the event is now open (www.AQEShow.com), with entry to the Exhibition and Workshops free of charge. However, a range of fees apply for those that wish to attend one or more of the Conferences.

AQE 2017 is the ninth in a series of specialist air and emissions monitoring events that began in 2002. Outside of the event’s Conferences, registered visitors will receive free access to an international Exhibition and a series of walk-in/walk- out Workshops that will run in four rooms located within the Exhibition Hall. The exhibition will provide a unique opportunity to see most of the world’s leading organisations in air quality and emissions monitoring products and services.

Visitors to AQE 2017 will include anyone with a professional interest in industrial emissions and ambient air quality. This will include the operators of regulated processes, regulators, environmental health officers, test houses, consultants, the media, researchers, academics, accreditation organisations, technology manufacturers and service providers.

Day 1: Industrial Emissions Conference –monitoring difficult gases and dust

The conference will begin with a regulatory update on the Industrial Emissions Directive, provided by David Graham of Uniper. Marc Coleman from NPL will then discuss the challenge presented by the monitoring requirements for SO2, and he will be followed by Antti Heikkilä from Gasmet Technologies in Finland who will describe the impact of new EN Standards on the acid gases HF and HCl, including an overview of the current status of test methods and currently available instrumental measurement techniques.

The two main NOx control strategies rely on the accurate dosing of NH3 or urea, and Dr Barbara Marshik from Servomex in the United States will explain the advantages of direct gas measurements with a feedback process loop for Ammonia slip monitoring that reduces NOx and Ammonium Bisulphate formation. Paul Firth from Tarmac in the UK will then describe the challenges and possible solutions to the calibration and measurement of particulates at low concentrations.

Erkki Lamminen will describe the Dekati® eFilter™ which combines gravimetric PM measurement with real-time diffusion charging and current measurement. Indoor, outdoor and combustion source measurement studies will be described and compared with other instrumentation.

Following the US EPA regulations for coal and oil fired processes and cement kilns, process operators had to choose a mercury monitoring method. Shawn Wood and Andy Curtis will describe the monitoring that has taken place in the United Sates and relate this to the European CEN that is currently being developed. Continuing the mercury monitoring theme, Mike Hayes from the Linde Group, will then discuss calibration methods.

Heather Whittenbury from Johnson Matthey in the UK, will explain how gaseous and liquid fuels can be treated with fixed bed absorbents at ambient temperature to remove H2S and mercury, and the absorption profile can be easily measured.

Day 2 (morning): REA – Waste Management Site Emissions

The second day of AQE 2017 will also feature a Conference with an emissions monitoring theme. The Organics Recycling Group of the Renewable Energy Association will run a morning seminar on ‘Controlling and Monitoring Emissions on Waste Management Sites.’ Rupert Standring from the Environment Agency will explain the new M9 Technical Guidance for monitoring Bioaerosols, and Catherine Rolph from the Open University will outline Worker Protection Strategies against bioaerosols. A speaker from Odournet will describe the design and maintenance of biofilters for effective odour mitigation, and Jennifer Watts will describe the legal obligations of a site operator for emissions control and odour monitoring.

Day 2 (all day): Investigation of Air Pollution Standing Conference (IAPSC)

Developed in partnership with IAPSC (Investigation of Air Pollution Standing Conference), there will be three sessions covering: pervasive air quality monitoring; vehicle emissions monitoring and data management; and local air quality management and policy.

The first two presentations will provide information on pervasive monitoring in two Local Authority case studies and this will be followed by a presentation on Real World Emissions – the use of PEMS on heavy duty vehicles to assess the impact of technology and driving conditions on air quality in urban areas. Subsequent speakers will cover telematics in traffic-related air pollution research and case studies on local plan development allocations, and air pollution reduction in Manchester. The final presentations will address air quality annual status reports and the ‘National Clean Air Day: one day to inspire years of action.’

Pre-registered visitors to AQE 2017 will benefit from free parking, refreshments and lunch, and free access to the AQE 2017 Exhibition and Workshops. However, there are charges for attending the Conferences:

Day 1 (24th May) AQE industrial emissions monitoring – £55 +VAT

Day 2 (25th May) REA monitoring waste management site emissions – £55 +VAT

Day 2 (25th May) IAPSC ambient air pollution monitoring – £155 +VAT (non- members). Attendance may be more cost-effective by joining IAPSC – see www.iapsc.org.uk.

AQE 2017 Exhibition

By registering at www.AQEShow.com visitors will be provided with free access to the AQE 2017 Exhibition with over 90 stands featuring most of the world’s leading and accreditation organisations. Many of the exhibitors will launch new products and services at the event, and visitors may be interested to learn that GCE have improved and extended their Buzz Wire Game and ORBITAL will run a prize competition to guess the mileage of a Yamaha FS1E (Fizzy) motorbike.

Quantitech, which is now a Gasmet company, will launch a new integrate continuous emissions monitoring capability in addition to a new range of portable and fixed FID analysers, and a new range of laser gas analysers. Axetris will launch a new laser gas module for measuring low range HCl, and Protea will demonstrate the Dadolab range of isokinetic sampling equipment, in addition to new AIR-IQ software for the real-time determination of gas concentrations in FTIR or Mass Spectrum data.

SW Technology sagl will unveil two new analysers for measuring ammonia and oxygen with hot CEMS extractive systems. Experts from Uniper will be available to discuss their range of environmental planning and permitting services, and NPL will launch a new ‘Gases and Particulate Simulator’ which simulates emissions at customisable gas and particle concentrations, flow, temperature and water content for instrument development and training.

Air Monitors will feature new technologies for monitoring gases and particles in both indoor and outdoor air. New products on show will include the FIDAS Frog and the Pegasor in addition to new Aethalometers.

AQE 2017 Workshops

Operating from four rooms within the exhibition hall, free walk-in/walk- out workshops will run throughout both days of the event. The theme of the first day’s workshops will be ambient air quality with subjects covering new technologies, mobile techniques and the relationship between outdoor and indoor air quality. The theme of the second day’s workshops will be emissions monitoring, covering topics such as regulatory compliance, new technologies, portable monitors and problematic species.

Summarising, AQE organiser Marcus Pattison says: “With 3 conferences, over 30 workshops and a large international exhibition, AQE2017 attendees will have to plan their time carefully if they are to make the most of everything on offer.”