PM monitoring

A new report published in September 2012 by the European Environment Agency shows that almost a third of Europe's city dwellers are exposed to excessive concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM); one of the most important pollutants in terms of harm to human health because it penetrates sensitive parts of the respiratory system.

Colin Craggs from instrumentation specialist Air Monitors says “This is a timely reminder of the dangers posed by particulates and coincides with the UK launch of a fixed area dust/aerosol monitor for continuous monitoring and a portable monitor for personal exposure at multiple locations.”

Both instruments are manufactured by Thermo Scientific and Colin says “National ambient monitoring systems are already in place and strict regulations restrict the PM emissions from industry and vehicles. However, employers have a duty of care to protect their staff, so accurate monitoring of the workplace is essential.”

PDR 1500

The new PM monitors are the latest versions of well-established and proven techniques offering a complete solution for monitoring particulate exposure in industrial and occupational safety applications including COSHH/NIOSH assessments.

Both the ADR-1500 Area Dust Monitor and the pDR-1500 Personal Aerosol Monitor employ light scattering photometers (nephelometers) with relative humidity compensation and true volumetric flow control to provide high-precision, real-time results with optional gravimetric validation.

In order to be able to function in a wide variety of applications, these high resolution instruments offer an extremely wide measurement range - 0.001 to 400 mg/m3 (auto-ranging) which covers all particulates from PM-1 to PM-10.

Weighing just 13kg, the ADR-1500 Area Dust Monitor has a weather-proof IP65 housing and a handle which allows for ease of transport and installation with mounting options available for wall, post or tripod locations. With a choice of AC or DC power, the ADR-1500 is simple to set up and run. Data are recorded at intervals ranging from 1 second to 1 hour, and the unit will issue an alarm as soon as PM levels reach a dangerous (user defined) level.

Weighing just 1.2kg, the pDR-1500 personal monitor can run from a fixed position or worn on a belt to facilitate real-time measurements as the user moves from one location to another. This personal monitor offers the same data recording capability as the area monitor and features interchangeable cyclones for superior particle cut points for PM10 & PM4 or PM2.5 & PM.

Summarising Colin Craggs says: “The pDR-1500 enables occupational safety managers and consultants to conduct accurate surveys in order to assess the levels of risk and identify potentially dangerous areas. The ADR-1500 complements this product by providing the ability to continuously monitor those areas and ensure the protection of staff and visitors.”