Source emission testing, done properly
Stack monitoring measures what actually leaves your chimney, at the point it leaves. It is a consent condition for most industrial units, and the results feed straight into your Form-V return and every inspection.
Parameters we test
- Particulate matter - isokinetic sampling
- Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
- Oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
- Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide
- Hydrogen chloride, chlorine, ammonia where applicable
- Volatile organic compounds - relevant for solvent-handling units
- Stack gas velocity, temperature and flow rate
Why sampling conditions matter
A stack result taken while the plant runs at 40% load says very little about what happens at full load. Monitoring should be carried out under representative operating conditions, and the report should state what those conditions were. A report that omits load and operating status is difficult to defend when it is questioned.
Ports and platforms
Accurate isokinetic sampling needs properly located ports with adequate straight-length upstream and downstream, and a safe working platform. Where these are missing or badly placed, we say so rather than producing a number that cannot be relied on.
The rest of the monitoring programme
Stack testing sits alongside ambient air, water, noise and soil work in our NABL-accredited laboratory. Running them together keeps the calendar consistent - and monitoring gaps are the one audit finding that cannot be fixed retrospectively.