Mobile environmental labs will begin operating in Irkutsk and Angarsk to monitor air pollution and also water, soil, and radiation levels. Their main advantage is real time data transmission, making results publicly available. Later, the network will expand on the Baikal natural area with stationary monitoring stations.
Mobile environmental laboratories for monitoring air pollution will begin operating in Irkutsk and Angarsk.According to the head of the department, the mobile laboratories based on Ford Transit were purchased under the federal target program “Protection of Lake Baikal and Socio-Economic Development of the Baikal Natural Territory for 2012-2020,” and since July of this year measurements have been carried out along the developed routes. The vehicles are equipped with a set of technical means for monitoring air pollution, surface waters, soils, and radiation monitoring, as well as for carrying out work in cases of emergency and accident situations.
A distinctive feature of this configuration is the ability to transmit information in real time for processing and posting on the website of the Irkutsk Region Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. The research data will be publicly available. One vehicle will operate in Irkutsk, the second in Angarsk. It is planned to purchase 10 more mobile complexes for the Baikal natural territory, including those based on UAZ vehicles for hard-to-reach areas.
These mobile complexes are the first elements of the monitoring system for the Baikal natural territory. Further, it is planned to increase the number of mobile stations and create stationary environmental monitoring stations.
According to the press service of the Government of the Irkutsk Region.