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Ultrafine Particle Monitoring
with the Full EN/CEN-Compliant Solution from TSI
Making ultrafine particle measurements in compliance with EN 16796* and CEN/TS 17434 requires the right tools. TSI offers a full solution that includes sampling, drying, and diluting the aerosol, as well as measurement of relative humidity and temperature, particle number concentration, and particle size distribution.
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Particle Sampling
Any measurement can only be as representative as the sample that has been taken for analysis. As is the case with any other scientific endeavor, care must be taken to ensure that the aerosol sample delivered to the particle instrument is representative of the aerosol one wishes to characterize. Specifically, the sampling and conditioning process should aim to preserve the size distribution and concentration of the sampled aerosol as much as possible.
A CEN-compliant sampling system includes several components: a PM10 sampling head, a sampling tube, a cyclone, and a dryer. Use of the cyclone is optional, and depends upon the size distribution of the aerosol to be sampled.
Particle Number Concentration Measurement
Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) are designed to measure the number concentration of airborne particles. CPCs can detect particles as small as a few nanometers in size (depending upon the design of the CPC), and have been used to monitor ambient air globally for years. A CPC is specifically required by EN 16796* as the tool to use when measuring atmospheric aerosol.
EN 16796* specifies requirements for CPCs that pertain to their design, performance, operation, and calibration. For guidance on regular maintenance, please refer to the relevant TSI resources (especially manuals and maintenance guides), and/or contact us directly.
Particle Size Distribution Measurement
A Mobility Particle Size Spectrometer (MPSS) measures the size distribution of aerosol particles. It does this by performing several different functions simultaneously in concert with each other:
- Inlet impaction
- Aerosol neutralization
- Mobility classification
- Particle counting
Due to the need to perform all of the above functions (as well as perform the necessary data processing), MPSS systems are complex instruments. CEN/TS 17434:2020 specifies requirements for MPSS systems that pertain to their design, performance, and annual calibration. For guidance on regular maintenance, please refer to the relevant TSI resources (especially manuals and maintenance guides), and/or contact us directly.
Additional Accessories
Catalytic Vapor Filter
Butanol-based CPCs are essential for CEN-compliant measurements, but their exhaust contain residual hydrocarbon vapors. The Compact Catalytic Vapor Filter addresses this by reducing hydrocarbon vapors by over 99.99%, ensuring a clean, interference-free environment for accurate ultrafine particle monitoring.
Compact Catalytic Vapor Filter CCVF100
Dilution (optional)
Aerosol number concentrations can vary widely by location. Some locations have both a high particle concentration and a high potential to impact human well-being; for example, traffic junctions, airports, or seaports. In such settings, the very characteristic that makes it desirable to measure ambient particles – their high concentration – makes it difficult to do so. Diluting the aerosol sample prior to measurement can solve this problem.
From the perspective of EN 16796* and CEN/TS 17434:2020, dilution is optional, and should only be used when local concentrations exceed that which the CPC can handle in single particle mode.
Relative Humidity Measurement
Measuring the temperature and relative humidity (%RH) data in the sampled flow provides valuable data, from both a scientific perspective as well as with respect to complying with EN 16796* requirements. Regardless of whether the ambient air is very humid or very dry, it is required to ensure that the air sample that enters the CPC inlet meets the requirement of <40% (3%) RH.
Sheath Flow Dryer (optional)
Especially for continuous ambient monitoring applications compliant to CEN/TS 17434, the utilization of a Sheath Flow Dryer becomes crucial to guarantee the quality of measurements - regardless of whether or not your application involves moderate or high relative humidity (RH) in the measured aerosol.
Software
Once the data are collected, they need to flow from your instrument(s) into your monitoring station system. There are multiple options:
• Your integrator may already have a solution.
• You utilize TSI’s extensive data auto-export, which includes the full range of available instrument status information, aerosol humidity & temperature, particle concentrations, and size distributions (as raw, as inverted concentration, or both).
*EN 16976 is formerly known as the Technical Specification CEN/TS 16976, and established by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
Contact Us
For further information on any component, please refer to the Solution Brochure for CEN-Compliant UFP Monitoring, as well as specification sheets for all system components or submit the below. We will be in touch soon.