10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Evaluation of Low-Cost Particle Sensors for Ambient Air Quality Monitoring
NUERAILI KUERBANJIANG, Meilu He, Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University
Abstract Number: 1309 Working Group: Instrumentation
Abstract In recent years, the use of low-cost particle sensors (LCPS) has become popular for air quality monitoring. Typically, these sensors are used in ambient monitoring after calibration against co-located FRM samplers. Such calibration efforts provide for site-specific conversion of sensor signals to PM. For a comprehensive understanding of the capabilities and limitations of these sensors, we conducted a series of tests with a range of popular OEM sensor units, and established the performance characteristics of the sensors under controlled conditions. We used size-classified particles from a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and determined the concentration detection limit of LCPS for particles of varying compositions. The performance of the LCPS was established by comparison with number concentration measurements made using a condensation particle counter (CPC). The performance of the units was established as a function of temperature, humidity, and ambient wind-speed. We will present experimental results from our studies and identify sensor handling issues that are critical for accurate air quality measurements with these sensors.