AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Determination of Chemical and Morphological Properties of Size-Segregated Aerosol Particles Using the Electrical Low Pressure Impactor
PATRICIA FRITZ, Shida Tang, David Guerrieri, Brian P. Frank, New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Abstract Number: 115 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract While several methods exist for the measurement of particle size distributions in real time, they do not yield information on particle composition or morphology. The composition and morphology of aerosol particles tend to be poorly characterized, especially for particles less than 1 micron, despite their potential impact on phenomena such as health effects and radiative forcing. Using an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI, Dekati, Ltd.) instrument that measures particle concentrations over 12 size bins from 17 nm to 6.8 microns by depositing particles on a series of stages, chemical analysis and/or morphological characterization of size-segregated particles on those stages were attempted in this study. Source particles were generated in the laboratory by several different methods including combustion aerosols generated with the Combustion Aerosol Standard (CAST, Jing, Ltd.), and sampled by the ELPI while simultaneously characterized by other means such as the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (TSI, Inc.). The effect of various ELPI substrates on the viability of chemical and morphological analysis of particles are evaluated, including factors such as elution and deposition protocols, and trade-offs between the two analytical methods. Their impact on ELPI operation parameters which can affect the viability of the particle size distribution measurements, such as particle bounce and stage loading, are also evaluated. Based on these findings, preliminary recommendations are made for the potential use of the ELPI for simultaneous measurement of particle size distributions, composition, and morphology.