Monitoring Methods

Several different methods and techniques are used to monitor outdoor air quality in Alberta. These monitoring methods utilize instruments that continuously analyze the quality of the air to other systems that require laboratory analysis of an air sample or filter. Different sampling types will provide data at different time resolutions.

For example, data from continuous monitors will be stored in one-hour time blocks. Other intermittent monitoring methods provide data every sixth day. Passive monitoring refers to air pollution samples that are usually collected for an entire month and precipitation samples are usually collected every week.

	Monitoring Methods Several different methods and techniques are used to monitor outdoor air quality in Alberta. These monitoring methods utilize instruments that continuously analyze the quality of the air to other systems that require laboratory analysis of an air sample or filter. Different sampling types will provide data at different time resolutions. For example, data from continuous monitors will be stored in one-hour time blocks. Other intermittent monitoring methods provide data every sixth day. Passive monitoring refers to air pollution samples that are usually collected for an entire month and precipitation samples are usually collected every week.