Research Projects

As the public becomes more knowledgeable about air pollution and its effect on health, local community-based air pollution monitoring projects have become more important. Community members and groups want to protect themselves from localized exposures to high concentrations of particulates, and require high quality, low cost, simple to use instruments. Ambient aerosol monitoring commonly requires either expensive or difficult to use instrumentation with lab backup. This study modified a low cost, simple and accurate optical commercial particle counter, the Dylos™, and evaluated its use as an ambient fine particulate monitor. The preliminary name of the prototype device is the Berkeley Aerosol Information Recording System (BAIRS). Based on lab an ambient monitoring, the limit of detection of the BAIRS is less than 1 μg/m3 and the resolution better than 1 μg/m3. The BAIRS accurately sized 0.49 μm particles, and is able to count particles of varying composition including organic, inorganic, and ambient particles. It is also robust, and able to measure concentrations up to 1.0 mg/m3. The project funding ended before development of multiple field-capable devices could be built and deployed, which should be the next step in evaluation for use by non-technical community groups.