WIBS-4+: An Assessment of Its Use a Bioaerosol and Anthropogenic Aerosol Monitor

DAVID O'CONNOR, Jerry Clancy, Emma Markey, Moises Martinez-Bracero, Dominique Baisnee, Roland Sandra-Esteve, Dublin City University

     Abstract Number: 669
     Working Group: Bioaerosols

Abstract
This study conducted an intensive real-time monitoring campaign over two months in Saclay, a semi-urban area southwest of Paris, France. The campaign aimed to evaluate the Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor 4+ (WIBS 4+) device comparing it to the traditional Hirst volumetric sampling method for detecting ambient bioaerosol concentrations, specifically fungal spores and pollen grains. Alongside the WIBS and Hirst devices, meteorological and pollution data were collected from co-located monitoring equipment at the research center, enabling the development of several Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) algorithms.

The results indicated that for Total fungal spores, significant concentration predictors included the A WIBS channel concentrations, southern and southwesterly winds, and NOx emissions. For pollen grains, the additional emission channels in the WIBS 4+ (allowing for D, DE, and E WIBS channel categories) were a strong predictor of concentrations when combined with northerly and easterly winds and atmospheric ammonia levels. Furthermore, the potential for using WIBS 4+ technology to monitor non-biological aerosols was assessed, revealing that black carbon, despite not being of biological origin, strongly correlated with BC WIBS channel particles. It was also influenced by various wind speed and direction parameters. This campaign demonstrates the robust bioaerosol monitoring capabilities of WIBS technology and also its potential use as an air quality monitoring device.