19ENV08 AEROMETII: Advanced aerosol metrology for atmospheric science and air quality

• Research unit: METAS
• Project number: F-5235.30137

Key words (English)

automatic pollen monitors, pollen monitor calibration, automatic pollen identification, field pollen measurements, bioaerosol monitors, ultrasonic flow meter, particle number concentration

Short description (English)

In the EMPIR project Aeromet II, the Particles and Aerosols Laboratory is leading WP2 (Novel calibration procedures for automatic pollen monitors and validation with field campaigns).

Project aims (English)

The objectives are to establish a protocol for the laboratory-based calibration of automatic pollen monitors, to develop a transfer standard and to validate the automatic trained classification of pollen in a field campaign.
We also participate to a small extent in WP1 (Traceable methods for the calibration of MPSS, OPSS and APSS).

Abstract (English)

METAS has carried out the following work to date:
WP1:
- A workshop on the calibration of aerosol spectrometers (OPSS) has successfully taken place and a manuscript has been submitted.

WP2:
- Calibration of Rapid-E (Plair AG, Switzerland), Poleno (Swisens AG, Switzerland) and WIBS-Neo (DMT, USA) bioaerosol monitors with transparent and fluorescent PSL particles down to 10 µm. A manuscript has been submitted (in collaboration with MeteoSwiss).
- Design and construction of an aerosol diluter for the Poleno monitor (the Poleno has an aerosol concentrator in front of the particle sensor and the signal is saturated at concentrations as low as 0.03 cm-3).
- Installation on the LAPAZ and validation of a new ultrasonic flow meter (conventional mass flow meters are not compatible with the Poleno device).
- Successful aerosolization of 20 µm particles with the LAPAZ and measurement of aerosol homogeneity.
- Adaptation of the nozzle on the LAPAZ so that particles up to 20 µm can be measured. The validation work is still ongoing. 
- A second campaign to calibrate the measured number concentration was carried out together with METEOSwiss for the Poleno device in order to evaluate the reproducibility of the device.

Publications / Results (English)

Two manuscripts submitted.