Definition of Environmental Monitoring of Pollution

Part of keeping the environment safe from modern contaminants means frequent monitoring of our water, land and air. Sound monitoring ensures better human and environmental health.

Scope

• In monitoring pollution, the idea is not always to stop 100 percent of hazardous substances from reaching the environment. It is extremely difficult to completely control many of the ubiquitous chemicals used in modern industry, and even more so for the ones we use at home. Instead, regulatory bodies in charge of enforcing pollution standards have acceptable levels that are intended to be well below the threshold for danger to human health. However, some substances do not have a threshold because they are so toxic.

Sampling

• It would be impossible to monitor every possible source of contamination. Using representative samples is a way to determine where pollution is strongest and take further action based on the findings. If there is a factory on a river suspected of pollution, samples would be taken from locations both downstream and upstream to establish a baseline for unpolluted water and to determine relative concentrations downstream. From a legal standpoint, proper sampling is important because recorded samples may be crucial evidence in prosecuting a polluter. Generally speaking, the use of sound sampling techniques is important simply to determine true levels of pollution and rate them against normal background levels in the environment.

Regulatory Bodies

• For monitoring pollution, the top government authority is the EPA. Environmental regulations on a federal level are generally drafted through EPA advisement, and legal authority for enforcing pollution standards falls to the EPA as well. State authorities typically handle more local matters, though often in concert with EPA guidelines and always under federal standards. For matters not specifically covered by federal regulations, state pollution monitoring policy varies. California, for instance, has rigorous policies on air quality that other states are not required by federal power to adopt.

Normal Monitoring

• Pollution levels often are monitored on a normal schedule, especially for municipal water supplies. This does not necessarily imply an expected problem but is done as a precaution against sudden accidents or unexpected contamination. Many standard tests do not check for every kind of pollutant, just the ones most likely to occur. Many city governments make water quality records available to the public.

Mandated Monitoring

• If a major spill occurs or if a facility has a bad record of polluting, regulatory bodies like the EPA or a state environmental quality office may specifically monitor for pollution. Chemical spills will also be monitored for a period even after they are cleaned up to ensure normal environmental function returns, depending on budgetary and local policy constraints.