It has completed the sophisticated project in collaboration with the local and the US Embassy-assisted initiatives, APP reported, and added that “The NUST through its indigenous and US Embassy assisted initiatives, managed to develop a locally made conventional air quality measuring gadget in collaboration with local technicians/engineers”.
The Head of Department, Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (IESE), Dr. Muhammad Fahim Khokhar told APP that the project was completed recently after being launched in 2012, and is the result of a decade of untiring efforts. “The effort had started from a scratch in 2012 that succeeded in establishing an international standard air quality monitoring lab at the varsity,” he said.
He noted that the lab had recently received certification from the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Dr. Khokhar added that the US Department of State has donated four low-cost sensors to NUST under its project by the Duke University, and has also imported Japanese air quality monitors worth around Rs. 50 million.
“Two of the sensors were installed at the NUST station and two of them were placed at the Pakistan EPA to get real-time data of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and analyze the performance of latest technology in air quality monitoring,” he said.
