RZD tests air quality monitoring train
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefRussian Railways (RZD) demonstrated its “mobile complex for environmental atmospheric monitoring” during a presentation Monday in Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Led by Viktor Cherkasov, head of Russian Railways’ department for occupational health and safety, industrial safety, and environmental control, as well as representatives of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee and Olympstroy, and representatives from the media and environmental organizations, the railroad ran its air quality monitoring equipment on RZD’s Adler–Sochi line. During the trip, air samples were taken, the likely sources of air pollution evaluated, and the results were displayed on monitors installed on board the train.
The monitoring equipment was developed by specialists at the Railway Transport Research Institute of Russian Railways in collaboration with scientists of the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics. While in motion, the laboratory is able to take readings every 10 seconds and find local sources of atmospheric pollution.
After further processing of the readings, RZD said, the laboratory is able to identify sources of pollution located up to 700 kilometers (434 miles) from the railway line.
