Qatar launches scheme to monitor air quality

Qatar is to monitor its air qualiy using a new pilot scheme launched in Doha on Monday. The air quality will be monitored through a platform developed by QU Wireless Innovations Centre (Quwic) at the Qatar Science and Technology Park. The launch of a field trial for the Air Quality Monitoring System (HAWA’AK) in Education City was announced yesterday by Quwic and the Health, Safety, Security & Environment Directorate (HSSE) of Qatar Foundation. “We have installed three sensors around the university campuses and one in QSTP with plans for more sensors in the coming weeks at some more locations in Qatar,” Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya, executive director of Quwic told Gulf Times newspaper. The new solar-powered sensors are cheaper and less cumbersome than those currently on the market and transmit data wirelessly to Quwic’s own Intelligent Sensing and M2M Services Platform (Labeeb) that provides air quality information in real-time. “The system measures and gives instantaneous readings of the levels of hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone gases in the air in addition to temperature and humidity,” Dr Abu Dayya added. “In future, air quality measurements could be announced to the public through the radio and websites,” he said.