EPA sniffer drones can now detect air pollution

EPA Victoria has enhanced its fleet of drones with new technology that can detect air pollution, allowing the state’s environmental watchdog to more effectively monitor and respond to pollution incidents across industrial sites.

The sniffer drones, already in use for monitoring water quality, fire risks in waste stockpiles, and illegal dumping sites, are now equipped with an Aerial Air Pollutant Detection & Mapping system.

The drones have already been used to protect the Karaaf Wetlands at

Torquay North.

The wetlands are downstream from new estates and fed by stormwater drains and local waterways.

According to the EPA, this makes them vulnerable to any chemicals, litter, and sediment that escape those building sites.

Wetlands are ecosystems that perform an essential role. They purify stormwater, reduce the effect of floods, store carbon, and support native birds, animals, and aquatic life.

EPA executive director of operations Joss Crawford said the system provides real-time data on gas concentrations and distributions, assisting officers on

the ground.

“The sniffer drone gives us real-time gas concentrations and distributions, that will help assess total emissions from the landfill, oil and gas refinery, wastewater treatment plant or other industrial site we’re inspecting,” Ms Crawford said.

“The new technology also enables us to pinpoint significant sources at these sites so we can then target the real cause of pollution and direct measures to do something about it,” she said.

This system measures pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, particulates, and methane.

These pollutants, associated with health risks and climate change, are mapped in real-time, enabling EPA officers to visualize and respond to pollution sources effectively.

“Each pollutant comes with its own challenges; hydrogen sulphide creates immediate problems with odour, while carbon monoxide is a poison with no smell at all, particulates mostly affect the old, people with heart or lung disease, pregnant women and small children, and methane is a greenhouse gas associated with climate change,” Ms Crawford said.

“EPA’s drones give our frontline officers practical tools that make the job of detecting and stopping pollution faster and more effective.”