Atmospheric particulate mass measurement with beta attenuation mass monitor

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es60120a015· OSTI ID:7328087

Macias, E S; Husar, R B

A two-stage on-line mass monitor with aerosol size separator (TWOMASS) employing the beta attenuation technique has been developed for monitoring of atmospheric aerosols with high time resolution. This instrument independently analyzes the mass concentration of two particle size fractions. Coarse particles are inertially separated by impaction on filter paper. The fine particle fraction is collected on a high-efficiency glass-fiber filter. Carbon 14 is used as a source of beta particles which are detected by a silicon surface-barrier detector coupled to fast, low-noise nuclear electronics. A programmable calculator controls TWOMASS, calculates the mass concentration of each size fraction, plots, prints, and stores the data on tape. The instrument has been gravimetrically calibrated using laboratory and atmospheric aerosols. For 10-min sampling intervals, the precision of the instrument is 4 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/, and the accuracy is 11 percent. It has subsequently been field tested by sampling atmospheric aerosol over an extended period which indicates that it is capable of ambient air monitoring with a time response on the order of 10 min.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., St. Louis
• OSTI ID: 7328087
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 10:9; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440300 -- Miscellaneous Instruments-- (-1989)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACCURACY
AEROSOL MONITORING
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA SPECTROSCOPY
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CALIBRATION
CARBON 14
CARBON ISOTOPES
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NUCLEI
PARTICLE DISCRIMINATION
PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION
PARTICLE SIZE
PERFORMANCE
POLLUTION
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOISOTOPES
SAMPLING
SENSITIVITY
SIZE
SOLS
SPECTROSCOPY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES