Namibian Smelter’s Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Are Now Monitored

The recent installation of three air-quality monitoring stations at the Dundee Precious Metals-owned Tsumeb smelter, in Namibia, is set to tackle its ‘unacceptably high” levels of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission levels and forms part of the facility’s N$560-million environmental upgrade.

This technology, the first of its kind in Namibia, comprises three individual monitoring units commissioned at specific locations in and around the complex and the nearby town of Tsumeb.

The SO₂ monitor uses ultraviolet fluorescence and microprocessor technology to provide accurate SO₂ measurements and enables data to be collected and processed by a built-in computer. The results are then transmitted using a mobile phone network to independent third-party specialists in South Africa, where the information is processed and collated for regular reporting.

Further, each station has a dedicated meteorological monitoring mast, which assesses temperature and wind patterns as the SO₂ and dust data are collected. This information is used to further measure emissions originating from the smelter itself, couple them with weather conditions and compare them with international standards established by groups such as the World Health Organization.