Environmental Monitoring Solutions Guide

environmental-monitoring-solutions-guide

The environment has always been one of the most heated discussions, climate changes to animals lost in the forest fires, name it and one would find millions of ways humans exploiting the natural resources. Over time, many efforts have been taken either private or public so as to avoid the consequences we study in our books. The environment has been a go-to subject for almost everyone, as humans, we are now more conscious, and almost every celebrity that we know of seems to be talking about how one can save the planet we are living in.

But the environment can’t be saved or even close to it by just rolling out green carpets in the awards or tweeting all day while we sip coffee from our Starbucks with the plastic straw (what about those poor turtles, Samantha?) So what are the technologies and systems employed for monitoring the surroundings?

There are many issues that need to be checked and ensure no damage happens and those issues can be arrested beforehand or at the very least a proper warning system. Here’s where an environment monitoring system comes into the picture. The applications of an environment monitoring range from industries to marine technology. Before we dive into the uses, let’s take a look at what defines an environment monitoring system in the first place.

What is the Environment Monitoring System?

Environment monitoring in layman terms is defined as a process of intensive care or regular examination in defined parameters of factors like time to name a few of them, of various aspects of the environment that is air, land or water, etc.

A system used for evaluating the impacts of the environment and the hazards that might be caused by various activities carried out from the human’s end is called an environment monitoring system. Environment monitoring is essential for understanding trends, the existing position of the environmental constraints. There sure are a few perks of environmental monitoring systems, let’s look into them now

What are the advantages of environmental monitoring systems?

The environment monitoring system offers way much more than one human can actually imagine, that too with negligible efforts. The prominent advantages are as follows:

  • Structured plan
  • Reduced costs
  • Reliability

Structured Plan:

When handling large equipment, it is very important for an organization to make sure all bases are covered while keeping the risks the machine possesses in mind. This means a technician would need a common portal or dashboard showcasing every minute parameter so as to observe every alteration for the changes made.

Environmental monitoring systems are those devices that make a technician’s job a whole lot easier, this making sure less manual intervention and cutting down other types of disturbances that accompany it. If things don’t go as planned, a technician will be able to easily track the root cause and stop the issue immediately.

Reduced costs:

As one can monitor a range of parameters in a common dashboard, it is easier to maintain the heavy machinery as well. The equipment would already cost a huge amount while setting up, but every organization would want fewer maintenance charges which can be avoided to an extent. Maintaining the environmental factors around the machinery like humidity, temperature, etc. would surely increase the longevity.

With machines, there’s no escape from corrosions, temperature fluctuations that could cause accidents if neglected. And with each damage comes the repair cost so when one can save on those, plan accordingly beforehand, an environmental monitoring system is your best option for saving a buck.

Reliability:

There are often scenarios when technicians working would not be able to exactly pinpoint the issue which can be hazardous both for the machine and people nearby. According to the studies, only 26 percent of technicians or employees feel confident about quickly locating the issue in a few minutes, whereas the majority 58 percent stated it would require four hours at the very least and about 20 percent stated they’d require at least a day. Now to classify the employees and check which category they are would sound preposterous; still, an organization would not want hazards on their watch. These environmental monitoring systems would come in handy saving your day while making sure of recording the smallest moderations and alterations happening in the machinery, with their inbuilt alarm systems if present a technician will be immediately notified whenever possible so that appropriate measures are practiced.

But where and how environmental monitoring solutions used exactly, scroll down to read more,

  • Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Healthcare Industry
  • Food Industry
  • Data Center

Pharmaceutical Industry

Why is Environmental Monitoring required in the Pharmaceutical Industry and how is it done?

The pharmaceutical industry has been one of the prime users of environmental monitoring systems. With vaccines and medicines, the products related to the same are sensitive to the conditions like temperature and other atmospheric conditions. Temperature is one of the major parameters that need to keep an eye on so as to maintain shelf life. There arises a need for a system that would handle all kinds of stages a product goes through, that is from manufacturing to distributions and even during transit.

Similarly, with clean rooms, popularly used for medicines and other pharmaceutical products for storage and carrying out studies, technicians and the organization needs to avoid interference. Issues can range from products losing their quality to contagious microbial outbreaks. Here systems with features like real-time monitoring, data logging, robust in nature which cannot be tampered with, and always up for audits are required so as to make sure the products are safe in the rooms.

Apart from the clean rooms, the doors are also important as access is also susceptible to be the cause of damages. With interlocking systems that go up to the count of 8, these systems provide maximum security that log as well as possess integrated emergency services that would automatically alarm in case of unauthorized access as well lock itself. So from entry to the cleanroom to the exit, every technician entry is recorded as well as made sure of the atmospheric conditions in case of temperature-sensitive processes.

With such a thin-skinned process, especially with contagious processes, an organization can afford risk by having many employees with access. Environmental monitoring solutions provide real-time data, synchronized with every system hence reducing manual intervention as much as possible.

These systems provide not only real-time data to audit, but also maintain the parameters and pass alert, perform all the functions at the same time, and are too compatible with whatever system hooked up to, wired or wireless. In warehouses, where every entry and exit needs to be monitored as well as data analysis should be a hassle-free business, environmental monitoring systems are the option best suited for the same.

Healthcare Industry

How is Environmental Monitoring required in the healthcare industry and how it is done?

The healthcare industry along with medicines also plays a lot with samples that need to be studied in laboratories. Along with those, organizations dealing with cosmetics, or pathology labs, etc also would require the same machinery to make sure no accidents happen.

Considering blood banks, where each sample needs to be saved at a particular temperature and pressure to make sure those are not gone rancid amidst study. Here’s where customizable easy to use and data monitoring environmental monitoring systems come into the picture. Same with laboratories dealing with vaccines and other pathology processes, because the slightest change in conditions could alter studies as well as the conclusions a technician arrives at.

Food Industry

How is Environmental Monitoring required in the food industry and how it is done?

Whenever you bite an apple from California or gulp down a kiwi smoothie we gladly pick from our favorite grocery store, have you ever wondered how they get to you miles away from the regions harvested from? Or those chips we eat while binge-watching our preferred movie night on our couch, how did they reach you when they are manufactured miles away from you?

The food industry compromises with many materials both raw and cooked or semi-cooked for that matter, which needs to be maintained for their freshness and taste as well the condiments used. Many foods are preserved with freezing conditions which need to be maintained from manufacturing till the distribution. One wouldn’t want a melted ice cream while buying now wouldn’t you?

While the products are manufactured, the machinery and the process are stationary, the main issue arises when being distributed as the regions might not have the same conditions as the region manufactured from. Materials like meat, chocolate, dairy, poultry, and even vegetables need constant temperature and humidity conditions to have their freshness preserved while being distributed amongst various suppliers to sell. Data loggers, portable ones preferably are the best choices that ensure maintaining the parameters while traveling from one region to another.

Now when suppliers receive the products, one cannot again expose them to environmental conditions. Products like beverages, dairy, poultry, and ice creams (I’m really obsessed with them!) would again want similar conditions. Since large numbers of products are supplied, retail stores would need large chest freezers, counters with refrigeration facilities thus needing an environmental monitoring system. With temperature loggers, data loggers to combat temperature escalations from time to time. Freezing conditions would obviously need more energy to consume, which can be saved to an extent with portable loggers that can be used at various locations. Saving bills of money and environment, what more one can ask for?

Data Industry

How is Environmental Monitoring required in a Data center and how it is done?

Looking at tall buildings and organizations inside them, one can never avoid the thought of how things are maintained with computers, wirings for networks as well as other systems like air conditioning, vents, sewage, etc.

Firms with computers and wirings would be very much sensitive to humidity, water and temperature as the data in the systems are really important and has to be protected at all times. With water and humidity, a system can corrode and lose the efficiency to save and work as well as higher temperatures can cause the equipment to lose its efficiency and sometimes cause short circuits as well.

Any leaks across the pipelines, or on the flooring would ruin not only the ambiance but also could cause extreme accidents like collapses. So to check these, environmental monitoring systems are used. With large infrastructures, portable systems are the best options as one can perform random sampling at any given time and is easier to access as well. These data loggers can also monitor various parameters like humidity, temperature, and water level as well; on the other hand network-enabled combinations can monitor critical conditions like water leakages, access, etc, an all-round protection system that monitors every possible parameter thus leaving no room for mishaps.

To wrap everything up in a neat bow, one could say environmental monitoring systems are a go-to choice that offers a practical perspective to save the environment as well the accidents which claim lives in a span of a minute. Temperature, humidity among other parameters can be best for the product or machinery used most of the time but if altered can be the possible trigger for many mishaps, thus these environmental monitoring systems are our best choice to save ourselves and the mother earth, two birds one stone right?

Now, these environmental monitoring systems have developed over the years and each process that demands different parameters to monitor can customize and come up with a tailor-made system suiting their needs. Along with that, these systems can be used at large machinery in industries to the small sections in the retail stores as well. With portability, the hassle-free technology which can be compatible with most systems in the industry also is an added advantage, thus fewer costs for manual support and investing in complex working dashboards.

While we take care of accidents and prepare ourselves with every measure possible, let us not forget we also need to take care of the earth we are harvesting our resources from. It is high time to shed the idea of being selfish with ourselves and together come up with ways to avoid wastage as well as exploitation for the wonderful possessions of the earth. Concluding with words of the great George Bernard Shaw,

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”

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