CASE STUDY
Clearing the Air: Real-Time Dust Monitoring
How emerging air monitoring technologies are protecting communities during construction and remediation
When a property company began excavation on a PCB remediation site, protecting workers and nearby residents from airborne PCBs became a top priority. Traditional air monitoring approaches—where samples are collected and analyzed off-site—can take days to deliver results. This delay poses a risk on high-hazard sites like PCB remediation projects, where site conditions can shift quickly. To stay ahead of potential risks, the team adopted real-time monitoring conducted in compliance with EPA’s Fugitive Dust Control at TSCA PCB Cleanup Sites, enabling immediate detection and rapid response to changing conditions.
Real Time Data. Real Time Action.
To meet the challenge, they partnered with Montrose to build a real-time dust monitoring program focused on speed, safety, and transparency. Montrose installed a network of solar-powered particulate monitors (PM10) at key upwind and downwind locations across the site, feeding encrypted data straight into the Sensible Environmental Data Platform (EDP). Site teams got live dashboards, text alerts, and trend reports — a clear view of air quality.
If readings exceeded established thresholds, work was halted immediately. This allowed crews to take action before potential risks became actual exposures. Operators received defensible, real-time data; regulators had a transparent, auditable record; and most importantly, the surrounding community remained protected.
From Risk to Reassurance
The project didn’t just meet regulatory requirements — it built trust. Real-time data gave operators the confidence to act quickly, kept regulators informed, and reassured nearby residents that safety came first. By turning monitoring into an active safeguard rather than a reactive tool, Montrose helped transform a complex remediation into a model of transparent, community-minded work.
This approach reflects a bigger shift happening across the industry: moving from compliance as an obligation to compliance as leadership.
