Casella CEL Airborne particulate monitoring system - Manual (Page 3)

HB3256-03 Page 1
I
NTRODUCTION
Airbourne particulate matter can be found in ambient air in the form of dust, smoke, pollen or
other aerosols. Major sources of particulates in the urban environment include industrial
combustion and processing, energy generation, vehicle engine emissions, and construction.
Particulate matter is responsible for reduced visibility, contamination and is also recognised as a
cause of many medical conditions.
The health risks posed by inhaled particulates led the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (E.P.A.) to establish size specific dust monitoring standards. The 'cut points' are refered
to as PM10, PM2.5 and more recently PM1.
The PM10 cut refers to a size selective sampling head having a 50% inlet cut off at an
aerodynamic diameter of 10
µ m. PM10 is usually adopted for monitoring studies related to the
affects of particulates on health conditions.
The health and environmental risks presented by airbourne particulates has increased the need
for reliable real time dust measurements. Air quality monitoring networks have been established
to determine compliance with statatory air quality criteria.
Casella’s APM 950 system has been designed to monitor the mass concentration of ambient
airbourne particulates in real time. An integral data logger is used to record a variety of
particulate and meteorological data for the subsequent analysis of contamination trends.
Simultaneous gravimetric sampling provides comparitive analysis with real time data and may
be used to calibrate the system to suit local conditions.
Additional meteorological values including wind speed, direction, temperature and humidity
may also be monitored by the system helping to establish major sources of pollution and long
term trends.