AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Evaluation of a Low-cost Direct Reading Instrument for Fine and Coarse Aerosol Particles
SINAN SOUSAN, Kirsten Koehler, Geb Thomas, Jae Hong Park, Michael Hillman, Thomas Peters, University of Iowa
Abstract Number: 33 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract Inhalation exposures of hazardous aerosol have been associated with severe adverse health outcomes. Fine (<2.5 µm) and coarse (<10 µm) aerosol particles are considered an occupational hazard in workplaces. Direct reading instruments (DRIs) can be used to monitor aerosol concentration. The development and evaluation of low-cost DRIs can help establish a dense network of aerosol measurement devices to directly link health-related workplace exposure to elevated toxic levels of aerosols. Our research investigates the feasibility of aerosol measurements using a low-cost DRI. We evaluated the low-cost DRI ($425; DC1700, Dylos, US) for its accuracy in measurements of fine and coarse aerosols. Tests were conducted with monodispersed salt and oleic acid particles at various sizes and polydispersed salt particles. Total number concentration measured by DC1700 was compared with those measured by reference instruments, a handheld condensation particle counter (CPC; 3007, TSI, US), a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS; 5.402, Grimm, Germany), and an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS; 3321, TSI, US). The counting efficiency was calculated from the number concentration of monodispersed particles and ranged from 0.04% at 0.1 µm to 108% at 5µm. Total mass concentration was also calculated from total number concentration of polydispersed particles. Total mass concentration estimated with DC1700 was highly correlated with those estimated with reference instruments (R$^2=0.99). The DC1700 shows good agreement with reference instruments for particles larger than 1 µm, but caution should be exercised when the DC1700 measures particles smaller than 0.5 µm.