Applications for Casella instruments

Key Applications for Casella monitoring equipment
Personal dust monitoring  
Workers and individuals can be subjected to many forms of pollutants in today's workplace and the environment. Monitoring for dusty atmospheres is an essential part of an occupational hygienists work whenever the work force is likely to encounter particulates that could be hazardous to health. Air around the breathing zone is commonly drawn through a filter that traps the particles according to their size and allows their concentration in the air to be measured. A sampling pump on an individual or a hand held real time monitor can be used to alert the safety practitioner to potential harmful environments and measurements compared to acceptable levels to ensure that limits are not exceeded. Dusts and vapors can be produced by such obvious sources as sand blasting, paint spraying or woodworking but also come from the combustion products found in vehicle exhausts and power stations and other less obvious sources. All can be harmful unless suitably measured and assessed. The Casella Apex pump can be used for personal air sampling while the Casella Microdust pro is an ideal tool for live survey measurements alongside regular gravimetric sampling.
typical sources of asbestos dust in the workplace

Environmental dust monitoring		  
Dust particulates and vapors are present in our surroundings as well as in many workplaces and can still constitute a hazard if left unmonitored. Smoke from forest fires, fumes from coal fired power stations, the emissions from our vehicles all contribute to particulate matter in the air. Typically the dusts that one can see such as that caused by mechanical processes like building demolition, home remodeling or rock crushing contain particles larger than the cutoff diameter of 2.5 microns so are less likely to cause deep lung problems. However, they can still be considered a nuisance when they coat the paintwork of a new car or block the filters of a ventilation system. Key parameters for these types of measurements are the PM10 and PM2.5 fractions. These are the values of the size of the particles which have a mean aerodynamic diameter of 10 and 2.5 microns respectively. Measurements can be made with the Microdust pro real time monitor fitted inside the environmental enclosure up to 24 hours duration.
typical dusty building site

Heat stress measurements		  
Workers exposed to hot working environments can be susceptible to heat stress, when the core temperature of the body rises to dangerous or hazardous levels. This can result in psychological symptoms like heat cramps, nausea, palpitations, stroke and even ultimately death. The overall estimation of heat stress levels on the body can be measured by using the wet bulb globe temperature index (WBGT). This is an empirical index based on the analysis of heat exchange between man and the environment. Measurement systems have to respond to and measure the same factors that affect a human being. These are the ambient air temperature, the rate of air movement, the relative humidity and the amount of radiant heat. The WBGT index was originally designed by the US Marines but is now widely used by many other employers worldwide. The types of clothing worn and the work / rest regime undertaken by the workers will also affect how an operator may respond to dangerous buildups of internal body heat. The Casella Microtherm Heat Stress Monitor is a useful hand held instrument for the assessment of the WBGT index. The Microtherm IAQ meter also can be used to measure heat stress in an area along with a wide variety of other possible contaminants.
hot environment in a typical steel foundry

Indoor air quality measurements		  
Industrialized societies spend over 90% of their time indoors therefore the indoor air quality is important to all of us. Reasons include health and safety and comfort and an efficient working environment. Absenteeism caused by "sick building syndrome' reduces productivity in the work place and is one of the current problems of poorly designed buildings. Regular monitoring of the thermal and gaseous environments in the working can alert responsible employers to the potential problems associated with this lack of productivity. Monitoring the indoor air quality can identify problem areas and reduce employees symptoms, increase productivity and morale and help to comply with current relevant workplace legislation. Regular monitoring of the indoor environment in commercial premises can reduce the likelihood of food waste or spoilage and ensure perishable goods are kept in optimum conditions. IAQ measurements can assist in the commissioning of new buildings, confirm the efficiency of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and building energy management. Public spaces such as theaters and exhibition or conference venues all benefit by regular monitoring of their local air quality. The Casella Microtherm IAQ monitor is ideally suited to providing this important data to the responsible employer in a timely and effective manner.
air quality in modern buildings and offices

Gas monitoring		  
Many situations require the measurement of volatile organic compounds in the air. Such applications can include industrial hygiene surveys, fence line monitoring, aircraft refueling, forensic investigations and terrorism surveys. The photo-ionization technique is commonly used to measure the levels of VOC's using an ultra violet lamp with a certain ionization potential energy. This ionizing energy is produced in the detector across a pair of plates between which the air and the contamination passes. The normal air gases are not ionized by the carefully chosen energy used but the typically lower value volatile compounds are ionized and their concentration measured by comparison with a known calibration gas voltage reading.
VOC monitoring around old chemical dumps

Weather monitoring		  
Casella CEL have been manufacturing quality weather monitoring systems for over 200 years. Some of the first instruments produced by the company in the early 19th century were for the investigation of rainfall and temperature. Over the years Casella have installed many permanent weather monitoring systems at locations worldwide. The latest tendency nowadays is for more flexible solutions that can be moved to where they are needed in a short space of time. With this in mind the latest in the long line of Casella CEL weather systems now available is the Nomad. This is a standard system with 7 major sensors that is quick and easy to setup even by a single individual. The items in the system can be transported to site in the trunk of a passenger vehicle and the whole system can be up and running in just 5 minutes including starting the data logger. The Casella Nomad is an ideal system for emergency responders concerned with hazardous material incidents, chemical spills, explosions and other similar accidents. Regular monitoring is also a prime use in conjunction with environmental studies around large sites such a refineries or quarries. A wide choice of data transmission options are offered to get the results back to the laboratory including direct cable, low power radio modems and completely wireless GSM modems as required. When just wind speed and its direction are required then the Casella Nomad Wind System is a very cost effective choice also.
typical effects of weather excesses
this page last updated : Monday January 14, 2008