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AEROSOL AND GAS MEASUREMENT
Citation:
Fehsenfeld, F. C., D. Hastie, J. C. Chow, AND P A. Solomon. AEROSOL AND GAS MEASUREMENT. Presented at Particulate Matter: Atmospheric Sciences, Exposure and the Fourth Colloquium on PM and Human Health, Pittsburgh, PA, March 31-April 4, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
Develop and evaluate methods for the sampling and analysis of PM in ambient air, with emphasis on FRM/FEM for PMc, measurement of carbonaceous aerosols, measurement of biogenic aerosols, comparisons measurements from the STN and IMPROVE monitoring networks, and continuous methods for PM mass and its chemical components.
Description:
Measurements provide fundamental information for evaluating and managing the impact of aerosols on air quality. Specific measurements of aerosol concentration and their physical and chemical properties are required by different users to meet different user-community needs. Before acceptable measurement techniques and sampling strategies can be specified to meet one or all of these diverse PM measurement user-community needs, it is necessary to understand the available sampling and analysis approaches along with their uncertainties and costs. To provide these measurements, different types and configurations of instruments have been developed and deployed. These include methods that measure and quantify either over time (integrated measurements, e.g., 24-hrs) or in real-time (semi-continuous or continuous methods) the observable properties of particles: size and size distribution, mass, chemical composition, and optical characteristics. Related variables that affect PM concentrations in air include water content (fogs and clouds), meteorological parameters, and gases that significantly influence atmospheric chemistry or are direct PM species precursors. Quantification of uncertainty of these measurements also is critical to the user communities since it forms the basis of our ability to interpret and apply data in an effective manner. This poster briefly outlines the discussion presented in the NARSTO Aerosol Assessment that describes the types of measurement techniques available, how the information obtained through PM measurements is applied, and the confidence that can be placed in the data's accuracy and precision.
This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy. The actual presentation has not been peer reviewed by EPA. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.