Air pollution is not only an environmental problem, but also a humanitarian one. According to the World Health Organization, outdoor air pollution kills
3.3 million people per year. To put this into perspective, the United Nations found that AIDS and malaria kills 2.3 million people per year, making outdoor air pollution deadlier than AIDS and malaria combined.
Oceanit’s team of scientists and engineers conducted a comprehensive air emissions inventory and air quality regulatory evaluation for the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Defense. Oceanit looked at sources of air pollution that could impact air quality, increase greenhouse gases and/or damage the ozone layer.
One of the largest contributors to air pollution in Hawai‘i is fugitive dust from construction operations, volatile organic compounds from asphalt paving, and fuel emissions from vehicles. Hawai‘i’s remote location and trade winds help keep the air quality high, however everyone can do their part by carpooling, biking and using public transport. Oceanit developed technology to measure and model air pollution from construction related fugitive dust, over a decade ago. “It’s great to see more community awareness,” said Dr. Dayan Vithanage, who was part of the original development of sensor/modeling systems.
Being conscious of pollutants exerted by a company is extremely important to Oceanit’s corporate responsibility. To learn more about what we do to progress as a sustainable company, visit our website at https://www.oceanit.com/in-the-community
