As summer officially begins, many people are rushing to get their air conditioners ready for the rising temperatures. But heat isn’t the only thing we have to look forward to this season – poor air quality is also a concern.

While pollutants are a daily force to content with, they tend to get worse during the summer. This is because heat acts as a catalyst for many reactions, including those responsible for creating smog. As air pollution and ozone combine during summer heat, dangerous smog becomes a concern. Many people are aware of smog being an asthma trigger, in addition to causing other respiratory issues, but it has also been identified as a factor in cardiac arrest.

To combat air pollution, steps have been taken to plant more trees and other greenery in urban areas. Plants do absorb pollution and give off clean oxygen, but the results aren’t as rosy as once thought. New research has found that trees can actually emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when exposed to high levels of heat. So during the hot months of summer, trees actually compound the effects of air pollution in urban areas.

For these reasons, it’s especially important to implement monitoring systems that track particulate concentrations in the air, allowing government agencies and companies to provide better controls and limitations for emissions. It also allows agencies to better inform the public about when they should take greater care surrounding their own exposure to pollutants. For high risk individuals who are already in poor health, knowing when to limit outdoor exposure could literally be a life saver.

At Vanguard Products, we develop items that go into systems for air and water quality to be monitored and controlled. Water quality is another important health factor during the summer for a number of reasons – namely, hydration, keeping cool in public swimming pools, and cooling systems that rely on water. Poor water quality can easily result in illness, so that’s another resource that requires monitoring during the summer.

If you oversee a project that requires air or water quality monitoring, let us know your requirements so that we can help find the right solution for your system.

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