Drew Dintaman to Accelerate Aeroqual’s US Momentum

"There were things that Aeroqual had integrated and problems they'd solved that were things I had dreamed of solving with equipment and technology." — Drew Dintaman

The recent June 5 World Environment Day theme ‘Beat Air Pollution’ is a timely reminder that air quality is taking centre stage with local communities, industry, city government and Federal and State authorities.

If you needed further proof of the increased priority of air quality, look no further than the phenomenal uptake of Aeroqual’s air sensor technology in the United States. Aeroqual’s projects continue to increase and grow. One recent project is the $1bn reconstruction of the MTA Canarsie Tunnel and L line stations between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Currently, 12 Aeroqual AQS 1 and Dust Sentry monitors are measuring air quality during the 15-month revitalization project. Also in New York, a network of 25 Aeroqual AQS1 monitors are measuring PM10 and VOC in the $58bn Long Island Railroad expansion.

One of Aeroqual’s AQS 1 monitors in the L line Canarsie Tunnel

In recent years notable partnerships in the US have also deepened. In November 2017 the U.S. EPA signed a 5-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Aeroqual. The partnership’s goal is to join knowledge and research together to accelerate the future of low-cost air quality sensing. In early 2018 Aeroqual teamed up with South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), UCLA and several Los Angeles community groups to set up a network of 100 air quality sensors in communities throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Many other projects and partnerships carry on alongside these.

To cope with demand and ensure that Aeroqual customers receive world-class support, Aeroqual has appointed Drew Dintaman as the company’s business development lead in the Eastern United States.

“I believe Aeroqual is getting the momentum in the US for the same reason I was attracted to the company. Aeroqual’s people, the culture and their passion for what they do – what the technology is doing and how that fits with the needs of their clients – is exceptional and I think people in the industry see that.

“Most people understand air pollution from what they can see and smell. However, it’s the unseen stuff that’s the problem. The smallest particles, the toxic gases you can’t detect with the naked eye, or smell. Aeroqual is engaged in quantifying that and understanding its impact. They understand the data will impact how we manage air quality moving forward – it’s something I can relate to and I’m equally passionate about.”

“Talk about resilience, I saw that with the team on our mountain biking trek” — Drew Dintaman

Dintaman believes that cutting edge technology and expertise will only become more important as air quality increases in significance in the public view.

“The air quality monitoring sector will need to be more pre-emptive. With understanding, we can keep the dust down or if we have a contaminant, or toxic gases are leaking from somewhere, we don’t want to be in a position of finding out only after it has created some issues.”

“The more data we have, and the more information we can get from air monitoring equipment, the better we can manage the risks right down to site level. I like that Aeroqual is invested in answering those questions.”

Dintaman says Aeroqual’s advances in technology are timely because there’s a lot more regulation coming out.

“You see regulation and recognition in different cities about monitoring the air, monitoring dust, or monitoring NO2 during construction activities. Advances in air monitoring equipment and air quality monitoring itself are coming at the right time.

Aeroqual’s Dust Sentry monitors used by SCS Engineers for compliance with South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1466 in California

“In some ways, the accessibility of the technology, and its versatility can take some credit for the rise of air quality as a priority. For example, we can access data in near real time, remotely via the cloud; we can get alerts or alarms on virtually anything as it happens,” Dintaman says.

“I think we’re going to start seeing advances in equipment and technology that makes it even more accessible – that includes bigger, more stable monitoring networks – as well as the accessibility of data on a big scale so that people will understand more about what we do. We’re in for a significant uptake in people’s understanding of air pollution and the equipment we use.”

Until now, the technology has — in some respects — played second fiddle to the skills and experience of experts (which remains critical).

“When I started in the environmental industry and working with air monitoring projects, I didn’t have the understanding as to how vital the air monitoring equipment was and how important it was to monitor the air during a project where you have a contaminated site and a transformation of that site over a few years.”

“I’m excited to be in a position to understand more and more about how necessary the equipment is, and that lends itself to being more passionate about this industry. Combining our customer’s expertise and experience with this cutting-edge technology makes for a potent combination.”

Based in Philadelphia, Dintaman is no stranger to covering the depth and breadth of the US to service his customers.

“In recent times I have spoken at remediation workshops across the US — probably covering 15 to 20 cities – to generate thought and education on remote/air monitoring, as well as conducting live demonstrations of air monitoring technology at tradeshow exhibits and professional association meetings,” Dintaman says.

“What I’m looking forward to bringing to Aeroqual is my love of finding solutions to air monitoring problems. With Aeroqual’s equipment and technology, I’m looking forward to pushing the envelope a bit on what kind of questions we can solve and just how complex they are — I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running.”