AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Ultrafine Particle Monitor (TSI 3031) Measurements and Evaluation in New York City
JAMES SCHWAB, G. Garland Lala, Kenneth Demerjian, Brian P. Frank, H. Dirk Felton, Oliver Rattigan, Robert Anderson, University at Albany, SUNY
Abstract Number: 189 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract Ultrafine particles (UFP) are important indicators of many nearby pollution sources, including combustion sources, motor vehicle traffic, and others. New regulations and health studies have increased the importance of accurate and widespread measurements of these particles. Specifically, while methods for measurement of UFP are well-established, the instrumentation is often complex and not suitable for routine measurement without significant time commitment from a skilled technician or scientist. The TSI 3031 UFP monitor attempts to address this need for a routine, long-term measurement of ultrafines. It combines a diffusion charger to increase the charge on the particles, a differential mobility analyzer to achieve size separation, and an electrometer to detect the size selected charged particles.
We have operated the 3031 UFP monitor at two sites on Long Island: Queens College in the New York City borough of Queens, and Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. We have comparison data at the Queens College site from a pair of SMPS systems for a roughly month-long period in 2009, and an FMPS (Fast Mobility Particle Sizer) for nearly six months in 2012. We have numerous other measurements at the Queens College site useful for evaluating ultrafine particle measurements as well. This poster will highlight the findings from these studies.