Air quality assessments are essential elements of design and due diligence studies for various developments including: transportation corridors, research laboratories, industrial facilities and municipal facilities such as wastewater treatment plants, among other sources. While issues related to air quality are often more acute in urban centers or in proximity to the source, long range transport and atmospheric interactions cannot be ignored when considering ambient levels and long term effects. Poor air quality affects human beings directly in terms of health effects and odour annoyance, as well as indirectly in terms of deterioration of the natural habitat.
Industrial emissions from points and area sources have short range impacts on nearby sensitive areas influenced by local topography and wind conditions, as well as long range impacts influenced by atmospheric chemistry.
GmE uses computer based mathematical models and wind tunnel testing on physical scale models to assess the impact of pollution sources on the environment.
Our experience comes from many years of working with clients in manufacturing sectors, biological and chemical research facilities, as well as work on institutional assignments.
Exhausts From Chemical And Biological Research Facilities
Research and development facilities at universities or in the pharmaceutical and photonics industries,
among others, handle a wide variety of gaseous emissions that vary in toxicity and odour impacts. GmE has
been involved with modelling and resolving problems with emissions that have high toxic or odour potentials.
Their impacts have been studied as they affect the occupants by way of re-entrainment of exhausts at fresh
air intakes, and by how they affect the surrounding community through air emissions. Our work extends into
wastewater treatment plants where the prediction and control of odours are among the critical issues.
Accidental Spills
Gaseous pollutants from a facility can either be continuous (i.e. steady state) or random, as in the case
of an accidental spill scenario. GmE has undertaken numerous analyses to consider the probabilities of
accidental spills and how their impact should be compared to regulatory limits. GmE has dealt with most
governing and regulatory bodies in North America including: EPA, ACGIH, MOE (Canada), and Health Canada.
Wind Tunnel Testing as a Powerful Design Tool
GmE uses physical modelling combined with wind tunnel testing as the most reliable approach to determine
the impact of gaseous emissions on surrounding points of reception. The wind tunnel can also be used to
validate computational fluid flow studies that are better suited for sensitivity or parametric analysis.
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