Community Involvement
"Dear Argos Scientific, Thank you very much for donating funds to our 10K run at Nobel Middle School! We are excited to share that the run happened on Tuesday, May 24th at Pierce College, and it was a huge success! We have two students fighting cancer at the school this year, so all the runners wore gold ribbons to show their support. Thank you again! All our best!"
- Mrs. Cogle and the 10K Volunteers of Nobel Middle School
Many customers who have used our products and services have utilized our expertise to develop long-term air monitoring programs, which combine state-of-the-art air monitoring equipment with community involvement programs. The synthesis of these two services are sustainable air monitoring programs that give back to the community in the form of:
(1) Real-time air monitoring data
(2) Educational programs
(3) Enhanced emergency response capabilities.
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The small costs of these integrated programs provide a tremendous long-term benefit to all of the local stakeholders. Below are a few examples of successful community benefit programs that have been developed by Argos.
CALIFORNIA
Argos is currently working with various oil refineries, community groups, and local government officials to provide real-time, fence-line air monitoring systems in California. As the technical liaison between the refinery and the community groups, Argos is responsible for maintaining real-time monitoring systems that update a public access website every five minutes. It provides recommendations on the latest methods of sampling the ambient air, and ensures that all equipment meets quality assurance standards.
The fence-line monitoring success includes community- based monitoring programs that use state-of-the-art sampling methods to identify odorous gases and trace them back to their source. In addition, at the request of local community leaders, Argos is developing a series of educational webinars focusing on environmental sampling methods.
MIDDLE EAST
Using a novel air sampling system developed by Argos Scientific Inc., an oil refinery in South Africa has developed a community response vehicle that responds from everything from hazardous waste spills, community odor complaints, to worker safety issues. The sampler takes data every 30 seconds and can quantify benzene, toluene, xylene, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, mercury, and ammonia on a real-time basis.
Detection limits for these gases are in the low part per billion. By taking an aggressive approach towards searching out and detecting odors, the refinery has been able to lower the number of odor complaints by 40% by demonstrating the type of gas detected and wind direction were not from the refinery. In turn the actual sources of the gases have been identified and mitigating actions have taken place.
MIDWEST
Using technology developed by Argos Scientific, a community group in the Midwest was able to document unsafe levels of 1-3 Butadiene coming from a plastics company. This data was used to prompt the company, the EPA, and the community to work toward a common resolution of the problem. Today, the levels of butadiene in the community are below health standards. Argos is currently working with the company to provide routine monitoring of 1-3 butadiene, acrylonitrile and styrene.
SOUTH AFRICA
Using a novel air sampling system developed by Argos Scientific Inc., an oil refinery in South Africa has developed a community response vehicle that responds from everything from hazardous waste spills, community odor complaints, to worker safety issues. The sampler takes data every 30 seconds and can quantify benzene, toluene, xylene, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, mercury, and ammonia on a real-time basis.
Detection limits for these gases are in the low part per billion. By taking an aggressive approach towards searching out and detecting odors, the refinery has been able to lower the number of odor complaints by 40% by demonstrating the type of gas detected and wind direction were not from the refinery. In turn the actual sources of the gases have been identified and mitigating actions have taken place.
March 3, 2016, Porter Ranch, CA - Independent private company, Argos Scientific, which has an agreement to keep monitors at residents' homes through Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch Englander’s office, also will remain on site and would like to find a long-term home for the equipment, said Don Gamiles of Argos Scientific. The company has set up a way for residents to view results in real time on their smartphones.
“There’s been tremendous response,” Gamiles said, adding that the site has garnered more than 100,000 hits. “In the world of air monitoring stuff, that eclipses all other records,” he said. “We still see levels of methane I would say significantly above what the background levels should be.”