The tapered element oscillating microbalance as a tool for measuring ambient particulate concentrations in real time

Abstract

A particulate mass measurement instrument named the tapered element oscillating microbalance has been employed successfully in the continuous, real-time measurement of ambient particulate concentrations, including PM-10 and TSP. This technique offers the advantages of direct mass measurement in real time, and the collection of particulate on a filter cartridge that can be subjected to post-collection analysis. The Series 1400 monitor manufactured by Rupprecht & Patashnick Co., Inc. of Albany, New York, has received U.S. EPA certification as an equivalent method for PM-10 monitoring and is expected to receive the German TÜV approval for TSP measurements in mid-September 1992. Field results show a high degree of correlation between 24-hour averages from the Series 1400 monitor and measurements from reference PM-10 high volume samplers. Since this real-time instrument is capable of measurements over shorter time intervals such as 30 minutes and 1 hour, short-term data from co-located instruments are also presented and shown to have a high degree of precision. Long-term results from network installations in Europe and elsewhere demonstrate that the instrumentation is also suitable for unattended operation over long periods of time under a variety of meteorological and particulate concentration conditions. A new accessory named the ACCU™ System allows for the intelligent sampling of particulate on the user's choice of filter media for later analysis.