About HAMN

For many years the provincial Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and federal Environment Canada (EC) carried out ambient and point source air quality monitoring in the Hamilton area. As of May 1st, 2003, the point source air quality monitoring network in the City of Hamilton has been operated, serviced and maintained by the Hamilton Air Monitoring Network (HAMN).

HAMN represents participating industries that are committed to carrying out air quality monitoring as part of the MECP’s Source Emissions Monitoring program (SEM). The HAMN website provides current Hamilton air quality reporting through real-time data reporting.

The Hamilton industrial area is home to various industrial sectors ranging from iron and steel companies, chemical producers, manufacturers and several recycling facilities. With the close proximity of these facilities to each other and the complexity of meteorological conditions in Hamilton, assessing the sources of industrial emissions has always been a challenge.

HAMN carries out the required air monitoring to meet the needs of each HAMN participating member. HAMN provides real-time meteorological information for assessing air quality data and investigating air complaints. Data is collected to support specific MECP-industry abatement programs.

Companies participating in the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’s Source Emissions Monitoring program are required to submit an annual summary report of their air quality monitoring results obtained in the previous calendar year. These annual reports contain an overview of the HAMN network, historical trends for major air pollutants, a summary of any special study carried out during the monitoring year.

HAMN’s industrial air quality monitoring program has been responsible for collecting and reporting accurate real-time continuous measurements of ambient pollutants at various sites located around the Hamilton industrial area. These pollutants include sulphur dioxide (SO₂), total reduced sulphur (TRS), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), nitric oxides (NO), oxides of nitrogen (NO_x), and inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀) / respirable (PM_2.5) particulate matter. Information on the pollutants measured can be found here. As well, there are non-continuous air-monitoring samplers in the HAMN network that collect data on a rotating schedule. These samplers monitor such pollutants as total suspended particulates (TSP), volatile organic compounds (VOC's), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and metals.

The data generated are used to monitor air quality in and around the industrial area, determine which areas meet and/or exceed Ontario Ambient Air Quality Criteria (AAQC) and develop pollution trends. The HAMN program encompasses operation of the sampling and monitoring network, laboratory analyses of air samples, and quality assurance activities to ensure the high standards in data quality are maintained.

HAMN provides the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks with real-time access to continuous air monitoring data and submits quarterly and annual data summary reports of all continuous and non-continuous air monitoring data. Also, HAMN is required to provide immediate notification of all exceedances of the AAQC (Ambient Air Quality Criteria and Regulation 419) to the Ministry of Environment. The MECP will review the air quality information to assist them with abatement programs and complaint investigations.

The network data is used to provide HAMN members and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks with high quality air quality information. The continuous monitoring sites in the network include instruments that measure ambient levels of gaseous and particulate air pollutants, and in some cases, meteorological parameters. Please refer to the Pollutant Descriptions page for sampling methodology. The data signals from these analyzers and sensors must be averaged, digitized and processed according to detailed MECP guidelines for collecting air quality monitoring data. Figure 2 illustrates the real-time movement of data to both industry members and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Figure 2 - HAMN Telemetry System Overview

Data that is received by the HAMN-operated servers is utilized for troubleshooting and rectifying network anomalies, generating reports, implementing QA/QC protocols and notifying MECP and industry personnel of AAQC exceedances and/or unusual air quality events.

HAMN is to provide the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks with real-time access to all continuous air monitoring data and provide quarterly data summary reports of all continuous and non-continuous data. Also, HAMN will provide immediate notification of all exceedances of the AAQC (Ambient Air Quality Criteria’s) and Regulation 419) (WEB LINK TO MECP STANDARDS). The MECP will continue to have real-time data access to the air quality information to assist them with abatement programs and complaint investigations.

The MECP will carry out the required QA/QC role in ensuring quality of data. The QA/QC program is made-up of two parts:

1) Auditing field samplers to ensure sampling equipment is being maintained and operated as per MECP Operation Manual for Point Source Air Quality Monitoring, 2018.
In 2022 there were a total of 86 individual Provincial audits of continuous air monitoring equipment operated and maintained by Rotek Environmental Inc. Of the 86 audits, 85 were certified by the MECP as being acceptable, a 98.8% audit success rate. See Figure #3 below.

Figure 3 - ROTEK Environmental 2022 Provincial Audit Record

2) Auditing contract laboratories to ensure analysis is carried out according to MECP Standard Operating Procedures.

As well, the Ministry will review data reports and carry out data analysis to assess air quality trends. Data submitted to the Ministry is public data and can be made available to interested parties upon request.

Since 2003, HAMN continues to maintain a very high level of percent valid data collected. HAMN continues to exceed the MECP objective of 90%, averaging greater than 97% for the past 18 years. See Figure #4 below.

Figure 4 - HAMN Percent Valid Data

HAMN collects approximately 225,000 real-time hourly data points along with 13,000,000 minute data points yearly.

Since 2003, HAMN members have contributed approximately $7.9 million in support of the Hamilton Air Monitoring Network. See Figure #5 below. Since 2003, HAMN has invested $716,000 to improve the network by replacing ageing equipment and enhancing the air particulate monitoring program. In 2007, HAMN approved a $70,000 capital investment for a real-time telemetry and data acquisition system and a web-based data access system. Also, for 2016 HAMN invested an additional $15,000 to improve and streamline the web-based data access system.

In 2018, HAMN commissioned their first real time combined PM10/PM2.5 continuous real-time analyser. The new cost of this analyzer was $60,000. A second combined PM10/PM2.5 continuous real-time analyser was installed in 2020.

Figure 5 - HAMN Capital Investment

This system will provide HAMN members with real-time, web-based data access for all current and historical data. Funding has also been provided to develop a HAMN website with public access to the Hamilton Air Monitoring Network.

The chart below (Figure #6) illustrates the cost break down to operate the HAMN network. Over the 16 years of operation, HAMN has invested in more real-time air particulate monitoring equipment and reduced the dependency on expensive laboratory analysis for air particulate determinations. Laboratory costs in 2003 were 35% ($140,000) of our annual budget. In 2013, we successfully reduced these costs to 20% ($82,000) of the operating budget. Moreover, real-time measurement provides continuous monitoring while lab-based analysers only afford a 24-hour average every sixth day.

Figure 6 - HAMN Cost Distribution 2019

Approximately $50,000 a year is used in our Capital Reserve Fund for instrument replacements and enhancements to the network.