Particular Matter measurement: the new Sartorius automatic filter weighing system
Sartorius Sartorius presents: SCC500L (hood for filter conditioning) and AFWEIGH (automatic system for handling and weighing the filters): a fully integrated and automated system for measuring fine particles that allows analysis of very high precision and reliability designed for better efficiency, accuracy of results and reduction of measurement and analysis times of atmospheric particulate data.
Would you like more information on the characteristics and functioning of the integrated system for the measurement of PM10 and PM2.5 fine particles?
PM10 fine dust measurement: the measurement method
The measurement methods of atmospheric pollutants are normally established and differ according to the type of pollutant analyzed. Having specific regard to PM10, the reference technical standard is UNI EN 12341:2014 titled “Ambient air – Reference gravimetric method for determining the mass concentration of suspended particulate matter PM10 or PM2.5”.
The reference method of measurement is based on the gravimetric principle, but how exactly does the measurement of PM10 work according to this method?
In short, the measurement is based on the collection of the PM10 fraction on a special filter with the following determination of its mass by gravimetric way. The measurement is done in the laboratory, after the filter has been conditioned in the hood for conditioning at a temperature of 20 ° ± 1 ° C and a humidity of 45 to 50% RH, before and after sampling.
But how is the PM10 fraction collected and what equipment is used?
The instruments used are the so-called PM10 samplers. These instruments consist of a pump that sucks the ambient air through a sampling head, whose shape and construction has been established internationally and is able to select the powders with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 µm with an efficiency by 50%.
The particulate selected by the head is then passed through a filter membrane with a certain porosity.
The sampled membrane is then taken to the laboratory where it is weighed again and by difference with its tare (white filter) there is the particulate mass.
The sampler also contains a volumetric meter that records the volume of air sucked in, this is continuously regulated by a series of internal and external temperature and pressure sensors, to bring it back to the actual environmental conditions.
From the knowledge of the volume of air sampled and the mass of the particulates, the concentration of PM10 or PM2.5 in µg / m3 is calculated.
The integrated Sartorius system for measuring fine particles
Sartorius has produced a PM10 or PM2.5 fine dust measurement system which is composed of: a hood for the correct conditioning of the filters with a storage system inside them and a very high precision Micro Balance served by an automatic deputed system to the movement and weighing of the filters on the balance which avoids interferences and reduces the weighing times consequent to the movement and manual handling of the filters themselves.
In a single instrument everything you need for: storage, very high precision measurement and comparison of results that minimizes the presence and time required by a manual measurement performed by an operator.
In this video you can see the efficiency and technology of the new Sartorius integrated system for measuring fine particles: