The HazMat Guys

The HazMat Guys


THMG291 – Aerosols – Part 2

June 04, 2021

We were lucky enough to get a chance to participate in 908 devices webinar on aerosols and chat with our dear friend Dr. Mark Norman on the topic. We learned a lot.


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  1. How do we measure aerosols?
  2. There are several measures of aerosol concentration. Environmental science and environmental health often use the mass concentration (M), defined as the mass of particulate matter per unit volume, in units such as μg/m3. Also commonly used is the number concentration (N), the number of particles per unit volume, in units such as number per m3 or number per cm3.
  3. Aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS)
  4. Uses mass spectrometry to analyze the ingredients of what is suspended in the air.
  5. Detects liquids and solids suspended in the air
  6. Often it will range from 3nm to 100 micrometers.
  7. This type of technology is often used in measuring pollution 
  8. Able to distinguish thousands of compounds in a single particle
  9. There are real-time or online mass spectrometry that will perform and analyze, as the name would suggest in real-time
  10. The other is offline mass spectrometry which one must first collect the particles the analyze.
  11. Differential mobility analyzer (DMA)
  12. We also know this as IMS or ion mobility spectrometry a common tech used in chem war far detections
  13. Electrical aerosol spectrometer (EAS)
  14.  is a technique for measurement of the number size distribution of aerosol using a combination of electrical charging and multiple solid-state electrometer detectors. The technique combines both diffusion and field charging regimes to cover the diameter range 10 nm to 10 μm
  15. Aerodynamic aerosol classifier (AAC) and Aerodynamic particle sizer (APS)
  16. is a measurement technique for classifying aerosol particles according to their aerodynamic diameters.
  17. The technique allows online size classification of particles without requiring them to be electrically charged, and advantageously allows selection of particles within a narrow range of aerodynamic diameters.
  18. Condensation particle counter (CPC)
  19.  is a particle counter that detects and counts aerosol particles by first enlarging them by using the particles as nucleation centers to create droplets in a supersaturated gas. [2]
  20. Aerosol particle mass-analyzer (AP
  21. is a measurement technique for classifying aerosol particles according to their mass-to-charge ratio.
  22. Techniques exist for classifying (selecting) aerosol particles in the sub 1,000 nm range according to electrical mobility using devices such as differential mobility analyzer.
  23.  
  24. How do we protect ourselves from aerosol
  25. So where do first responders typical see this
  26. Fires
  27. Pepper spray, hair spray, spray paint
  28. Explosives
  29. Confined space
  30. An industry that generates dust
  31. Agriculture application of chemicals
  32. Spray for pest