Electrostatic enhancement of collection efficiency of the fibrous filter pretreated with ionic surfactants

A study of the electrostatic enhancement of collection efficiency of filters pretreated with ionic surfactants has been carried out in controlled conditions with monodisperse aerosols. Cationic surfactant (dimethyl dioctadecylammonium bromide [DDAB]) and anionic surfactant (sodium oleate [SO]) were used to pretreat polypropylene fibrous filters as the positively and negatively charged filters, respectively. The effects of aerosol size, aerosol charge state, face velocity, aerosol type, and relative humidity (RH) were considered to elucidate their influence on the aerosol penetration. Results indicate that penetration through surfactant-pretreated filters was lower than that through untreated filters, and pretreatment of the filter with surfactant was observed not to affect the structure of the filter. The electrofieldmeter direct-measured the very clear electric field of filter when treating ionic surfactants. The results proved that pretreatment with surfactant caused filters to become charged. Comparing penetration through surfactant-pretreated filters with that through untreated filters with neutral aerosol, the penetration reduction factor of the surfactant-pretreated filters was in the range 1.3-2.2. Comparing aerosol penetration through the surfactant-pretreated filters with singly charged aerosol with that through untreated filters with uncharged aerosol indicates that the former decreases by a factor of 1.8-48.8. The surface fiber charges of the DDAB- and SO-pretreated filters were calculated to be 2.02 x 1(-10) C/m and -1.53 x 10(-1) degrees C/m. Moreover, the aerosol penetrations through the surfactant-pretreated filters increased with the face velocity. Surfactant-pretreated filters performed better against solid aerosol than against liquid aerosol. RH has no effect on aerosol penetration through the surfactant-pretreated filters. Regression equations for Coulombic and dielectrophoretic single-fiber efficiencies in terms of the dimensionless parameters could be fitted by the experimental measurements of surfactant-pretreated filters in this work.     

The Evolution of Visibility Deterioration and Aerosol Spectra in the St. Louis Urban Plume

Under the auspices of Project METROMEX, studies of visibility de-teoration downwind of St. Louis were conducted during July-August 1974-1975. Estimates of horizontal visual range, standard meteorological data, and aerosol characteristics within the mixing layer were acquired upwind, over, and downwind of the metropolitan area by means of airborne transects. Aerosol number, surface, and volume distributions for particles between 0.025-2.5 µm were generated from the airborne measurement of Aitken nucleus concentrations, cloud condensation nuclei, and aerosols detected in situ with optical probes. Visibility reduction amounting to 50% of prevailing regional upwind visibilities consistently occurs at a distance corresponding to 2-3 hours travel time downwind for an air parcel moving with the mean transport wind. The regions of visibility minimum do not coincide with locations of maximum Aitken nucleus concentrations, but rather correspond in space and time to increased values of cloud condensation nuclei and increased numbers of particles in the 0.1-2.5 µm diameter range. Comparisons of observed aerosol evolution with similar laboratory studies suggest that most of the light scattering aerosols are of secondary origin.     

A High-Volume Sampler for the Determination of Particle Size Distributions in Ambient Air

A size selective particle sampler has been developed for continuous sampling of the urban aerosol over periods ranging from hours to weeks, providing relatively large sample weights. The system, which is now operating in New York City, uses a parallel array of two-stage samplers. The cyclones used as the first stage collectors have 50% particle retention at 3.5,2.5,1.5 and 0.5 µm aerodynamic diameter, respectively. Undersize particles which pass through the cyclones are captured on glass fiber filters. Equal intake velocities are assured by using flow equalizers on the inlets to the cyclones. Accurate control of the flow through the cyclones is obtained by the use of an integrated circuit pressure transducer in conjunction with a specially designed feedback control circuit. The collection efficiencies of the cyclone were calibrated using monodisperse ferric oxide test aerosols tagged with Tc-99m. Mass balances of the par-ticulates collected on the cyclones and filters are obtained for the five sampling stages. Preliminary results show the distributions of the total suspended particulates in New York City to be bimodal. The distributions of lead, copper, and manganese with particle size are also discussed.     

Electrical Measurement of the Mass Concentration of a Self-Preserving Aerosol Size Distribution

Recently fifty-eight measurements of urban aerosol size distributions by Clark have shown that these distributions agree quite well with the self preserving form proposed by Friedlander within the size range of 0.05 to 5 microns radius. This paper shows that for an aerosol obeying the self preserving distribution model, the volume concentration (and, hence, the mass concentration for constant density) is directly proportional to the electric current collected when the aerosol is unipolarly charged, passed through a weak electric field to remove particles smaller than 0.05 micron and then collected by a current collector. It is shown that the linear relation between the mass concentration and collected current is independent of the unipolar charging method used. A test of this theory using Clark’s electric counter data was encouraging and suggests that the electric measurement of urban aerosol mass concentrations by properly designed instruments may be feasible.     

On the sensitivity of particle size to relative humidity for Los Angeles aerosols

A TDMA system (Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer; Rader D.J. and McMurry P.H. J. Aerosol Sci. 17, 771–787, 1986) was used to measure the sensitivity of particle size to relative humidity for monodisperse Los Angeles aerosols. Measurements were made at Claremont, CA on 13 days between 19 June and 3 September 1987, in conjunction with the Southern California Air Quality Study (SCAQS). The particle sizes that were studied ranged from 0.05 μm to 0.5 μm diameter at ambient relative humidity (typically 45–65%).The data provide clear evidence that these atmospheric aerosols were externally mixed. Monodisperse ambient aerosols were often found to split into nonhygroscopic (no water uptake) and hygroscopic portions when humidified. An average of 30% of the particles in the 0.2–0.5 μm range were nonhygroscopic. However, the proportion of the particles that was nonhygroscopic varied considerably from day to day and was, on occasion, as high as 70–80% of the particles. There was no clear evidence for nonhygroscopic 0.05 μm particles, but the data are not definitive on this point.The data also show that for the hydrophilic aerosol fraction, the larger particles (0.4–0.5 μm) grew more when humidified than did smaller particles (0.05–0.2 μm). As relative humidities were increased from 50% to 90%, particle diameters grew by average factors of 1.46 ±0.02 (for 0.5 μm particles), 1.49 ± 0.08 (0.4 μm), 1.19 ± 0.08 (0.2 μm) and 1.12 ± 0.05 (0.05 μm). Similarly, when particles were dried from 50% RH to 6–10% RH, particle diameters changed by factors ranging from 0.94 ± 0.03 (0.5 μm) to 0.98 ± 0.01 (0.05 μm).     

Simultaneous measurement of light-scattering properties and particle size distribution for aerosols: Application to ammonium sulfate and quartz aerosol particles

An apparatus for measuring the scattering phase function and linear polarization of aerosol particles has been developed. The apparatus uses an elliptical mirror and CCD camera to image the full angular scattering range simultaneously. An in-line aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) in the particle flow stream provides for the simultaneous measurement of the aerosol particle size distribution. This apparatus allows for a comparison of measured optical properties with theoretical model calculations based on the measured aerosol size distribution. The system was calibrated and tested using monodisperse polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres and with ammonium sulfate (AS) aerosol. We have also used the apparatus for measuring the scattering phase function and linear polarization for light scattering from irregular quartz aerosol particles. Our results show that Mie theory substantially overestimates the backscattering cross-section for quartz particles in the size parameter range X∼2–4, in agreement with previous experimental work and theoretical modeling studies. We also present a normalized synthetic phase function for quartz dust aerosol in the accumulation mode size range (0.1–2.0 μm).     

基本单分散气溶胶透过率测试中真实值的计算

通过对高效、超高效滤料透过率测试台工作原理的分析得到:利用基本单分散粒子作为气溶胶测得的透过率关系与滤料真正的透过率-粒径曲线有区别,实际上是所使用实验气溶胶的综合透过率。详细研究了真正透过率与实验透过率的关系、误差和偏离产生原因,最终提出了一种独特的计算方法,实现了根据实验得到的表观透过率-粒径关系,就可以计算出真实透过率-粒径曲线,并得到了采用较为理想的实验气溶胶测试出的真实透过率的实际验证,这将大大提高高效、超高效滤料性能测试台的精度,拓展了其应用范围,为高效滤料的过滤理论和应用研究提供了比较理想的测试手段。     

Observation based analysis for the determination of equilibrium time constant between ammonia, acid gases, and fine particles

Experimental measurements of ammonia, acid gases, and the inorganic components of atmospheric aerosols were made at a commercial hog farm in eastern North Carolina from May 1998 to June 1999 by an annular denuder system (ADS). The ADS consisted of a cyclone separator, one diffusion denuder coated with sodium carbonate, another diffusion denuder with citric acid, and a filter pack containing Teflon and nylon filters in series. The equilibrium time constant for transfer between ammonia, acid gases, and aerosol phase of ammonium nitrate and ammonium chloride was determined based on kinetic rate constants (k_N as the rate constant of ammonium nitrate aerosol: 2.04 × 10^-4 m³/µmole/sec; k_Cl as the rate constant of ammonium chloride aerosol: 3.44 × 10^-4 m³/µmole/sec) and the observed inorganic components of atmospheric aerosols. The equilibrium time constant was determined based on kinetic rate constants and the observed inorganic components of atmospheric aerosols. The equilibrium time constant has a wide range of values, with an average value of 15.26 (±10.94) minutes for ambient equilibrium time between ammonia, nitric acid gas and ammonium nitrate aerosol; and 8.22 (±6.81) minutes for ammonia, hydrochloric acid, and ammonium chloride. Significant correlations were determined between comparisons of equilibrium time constant estimates with meteorological parameters, such as ambient temperature and relative humidity. The predicted chemical compositions in the particle by EQUISOLV II Model are in good agreement with the observed chemical composition at the experimental site.     

Chemical characteristics of free tropospheric aerosols over the Japan Sea coast: aircraft-borne measurements

Atmospheric aerosol particulate matter was directly collected in the free troposphere over the Japan Sea coast between 1992 and 1994 using an aircraft-borne nine-stage cascade impactor (particle size range: 0.1–8 μm). The water-soluble components in the aerosol particulate matter were analyzed by ion chromatography. Particulate sulfate and ammonium were detected in most of the samples and their size distributions showed noticeable peaks below the 1 μm particle size range. Water-soluble calcium (Ca²⁺) was detected in half of the samples; the size distribution showed that the maximum particle size was larger than 1 μm. Highly concentrated Ca²⁺ in larger particles was possibly due to transport of Kosa aerosols from the Asian continent in the free troposphere. The concentration of fine particulate sulfate and ammonium tended to increase whenever Ca²⁺ was detected, which suggests possible mixing of Kosa aerosols and non-Kosa aerosols during long-range transport of air masses containing Kosa particles.     

The Mass Distribution of Large Atmospheric Particles

This paper describes the results of a study to determine the total mass and the mass distribution of atmospheric aerosols, especially that mass associated with particles greater than 10 μm diameter. This study also determined what fraction of the total aerosol mass a standard high-volume air sampler collects and what fraction and size interval settle out on a dust fall plate. A special aerosol sampling system was designed for this study to obtain representative samples of large airborne particles. A suburban sampling site was selected because no local point sources of aerosols existed nearby. Samples were collected under various conditions of wind velocity and direction to obtain measurements on different types of aerosols.

Study measurements show that atmospheric particulate matter has a bimodal mass distribution. Mass associated with large particles mainly ranged from 5 to 100 μm in size, while mass associated with small particles ranged from an estimated 0.03 to 5 μm in size. Combined, these two distributions produced a bimodal mass distribution with a minimum around 5 μm diameter. The high-volume air sampler was found to collect most of the total aerosol mass, not just that fraction normally considered suspended particulate. Dust fall plates did not provide a good or very useful measure of total aerosol mass. The two fundamental processes of aerosol formation, condensation and dispersion appear to account for the formation of a bimodal mass distribution in both natural and anthropogenic aerosols. Particle size distribution measurements frequently are in error because representative samples of large airborne particles are not obtained. Considering this descrepancy, air pollution regulations should specify or be based upon an upper particle size limit.     

Fine and Ultrafine Emission Dynamics from a Ferrous Foundry Cupola Furnace

Abstract

Aerosol size distributions from ferrous foundry cupola furnaces vary depending on semicontinuous process dynamics, time along the tap-to-tap cycle, dilution ratio, and the physical and chemical nature of the charge and fuel. All of these factors result in a highly time-dependent emission of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 µm or less in aerodynamic diameter (PM_2.5)—even on a mass concentration basis. Control measures are frequently taken on the basis of low-reliability parameters such as emission factors and loosely established mass ratios of PM_2.5 to PM 10 µm or less in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀). The new environmental requirements could entail unexpected and undesired drawbacks and uncertainties in the meaning and effectiveness of process improvement measures. The development of process-integrated and flue-gas cleaning measures for reduction of particle emissions requires a better knowledge of generation mechanisms during melting. Available aerosol analyzers expand the range of control issues to be tackled and contribute to greatly reduce the uncertainty of engineering decisions on trace pollutant control. This approach combines real-time size distribution monitoring and cascade impactors as preseparators for chemical or morphological analysis. The results allow for establishing a design rationale and performance requirement for control devices. A number size distribution below 10 µm in aerodynamic equivalent diameter was chosen as the main indicator of charge influence and filter performance. Size distribution is trimodal, with a coarse mode more than 12 µm that contributes up to 30% of the total mass. A temporal series for these data leads to identification of the most relevant size ranges for a specific furnace (e.g., the most penetrating size range). In this cupola, this size range is between 0.32 and 0.77 µm of aerodynamic equivalent diameter and defines the pollution control strategy for metals concentrating within this size range. Scrap quality effect is best monitored at less than 0.2 µm in aerodynamic equivalent diameter and has been confirmed as strongly dependent on the physical state of the charge.     

Hygroscopic Organic Aerosols during BRAVO?

Abstract

The hygroscopic properties of the organic fraction of aerosols are poorly understood. The ability of organic aerosols to absorb water as a function of relative humidity (RH) was examined using data collected during the 1999 Big Bend Regional Aerosol and Visibility Observational Study (BRAVO). (On average, organics accounted for 22% of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5) mass). Hourly RH exceeded 80% only 3.5% of the time and averaged 44%. BRAVO aerosol chemical composition and dry particle size distributions were used to estimate PM_2.5 light scattering (Bsp) at low and high ambient RH. Liquid water growth associated with inorganic species was sufficient to account for measured Bsp for RH between 70 and 95%.     

Laboratory Generation of Particulates With Emphasis on Submicron Aerosols

The recent advances in aerosol generation techniques are reviewed. The use of monodisperse aerosols as primary standards in the field of aerosol physics and technology makes this work of particular importance.     

The modality of particle size distributions of environmental aerosols

Knowledge of the distribution of airborne particulate matter into size fractions has become an increasing area of focus when examining the effects of air pollution. While total number and mass concentrations may play an important role in exposure and risk assessment analyses, often an understanding of the particle size distributions provides more information on the type of atmospheric processes resulting in the distributions. The modality of the particle size distribution is one such aspect that has been associated with the aerosol formation mechanisms. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed analysis of the modal characteristics of a large number of particle size spectra collected over a period of three years for a range of ambient aerosol types. Measurements of over 6000 size distributions in the size range 0.016–30 μm were made using a scanning mobility particle sizer and an aerodynamic particle sizer for various ambient aerosols including: traffic influenced, urban, vegetation burning influenced, marine, modified background and suburban. Advanced data analytical procedures were adopted to combine the distributions from the two instruments for the calculation of the volume size distributions to allow clear interpretation of the modal characteristics. It was determined that, while in most cases there is a distinct nuclei mode in the number size distribution, this does not translate to a nuclei mode in the volume size distribution. Furthermore, while many of the number size distributions were different for each aerosol studied, the volume distributions were similar. This finding has serious implications for the setting of mass-based air quality standards.     

Low Flow Rate Sharp Cut Impactors for Indoor Air Sampling: Design and Calibration

Two single round nozzle impactors have been developed for use in Harvard’s indoor air pollution health study. Both impactors operate at flow rates of 4 L/m and are nearly identical, differing only in their cut sizes of 2.5 μm and 10 μm aerodynamic diameters. Two identical cascaded stages of the same cut size are used to obtain sharp cut-off characteristics. The particles are deposited on impaction plates made of oil impregnated, porous material to reduce particle bounce and are discarded. Only the particles collected on the afterfilter are analyzed. Special care has been taken to collect the particles uniformly on the afterfilter to aid in particle analysis.

The jmpactors were calibrated with a vibrating orifice monodisperse aerosol generator. However, due to the sharp cut of the impactors, doublets and triplets in the calibration aerosols, even in small quantities, gave erroneous calibration curves. Therefore, the number of doublets and triplets in the challenging aerosols were measured and appropriate corrections made to the calibration curves.     

A Portable Electrical Analyzer for Size Distribution Measurement of Submicron Aerosols

An electrical aerosol analyzer capable of performing rapid, in situ size distribution measurement on aerosols from 0.003 to 1 μm diameter has been described. The instrument is based on the “diffusion charging-mobility analysis” principle first described by Whitby and Clark. The prototype instrument has a total volume of 3.75 ft³ and a total weight of 60 lb, and is sufficiently portable to be used on small airplanes and ground based vehicles for mobile air pollution studies. The paper describes the design, operation, and performance of the instrument. Sample data are presented showing the size distributions of aerosols measured by the instrument on board a small research aircraft over the Los Angeles basin at several different altitudes. In addition, data are presented showing the size distribution of smog chamber aerosols and aerosols produced by a conventional Collison atomizer.     

A theoretical evaluation on the HNO3 artifact of the annular denuder system due to evaporation and diffusional deposition of NH4NO3-containing aerosols

A mathematical model was developed to evaluate HNO₃ artifact of the annular denuder system due to evaporation and diffusional deposition of nitrate-containing aerosols. The model performance was validated by comparing its numerical solutions with laboratory and numerical data available in the literature for evaporation and diffusional deposition of monodisperse and polydisperse NH₄NO₃ aerosols. Measurement artifacts were evaluated by varying typical sampling ranges of ambient temperature, HNO₃ gas concentration, aerosol number concentration, aerosol mass median diameter, and nitrate mass fraction of <2.5 μm aerosols to see their respective effects. Potential application of the present model on estimating HNO₃ artifacts was demonstrated using literature data sampled in USA, Taiwan, Netherlands, Korea and Japan. Significant measurement artifact could be found in Taiwan and Netherlands due either to low HNO₃ gas concentration and high nitrate concentration in <2.5 μm aerosols or to high ambient temperature.     

Optical properties and size distribution of dust aerosols over the Tengger Desert in Northern China

A field experiment was performed during 1 April–30 September 2001 in the southeast Tengger Desert in Northern China to measure the solar radiant flux by a solar direct radiometer and a multi-wavelength sun-photometer. The observation and research results are as follows. On fine days, dust aerosols attenuate the direct solar radiant flux by 2.6–47.0%, with an average of 16.9%. On dusty days, dust aerosols attenuate the direct solar radiant flux by 10–90%, with an average of 38%. The mean atmospheric turbidity for broadband (300–4000 nm) flux is 0.26 for fine days and 0.74 for dusty days. Under the typical background, floating dust, and dust storm weather conditions, the aerosol optical depths (AODs; at 550 nm) are about 0.1, 0.9, and 2.0, and the Ångström exponents are about 2.0, 0.38, and −0.24, respectively. The mean AOD of the examples is 0.66, and 0.87 for the Ångström exponents. On dusty days, the aerosol number concentration is 2–10 times higher than that on fine days. The aerosol size distribution is a multi-normal distribution during dusty conditions, while the aerosol size distribution is a logarithmic normal distribution during fine weather.     

Comparability of three spectrometers for monitoring urban aerosol

The comparability was tested of three aerosol “spectrometers”, used in a program for monitoring the spectra of fine and ultrafine particles in three European cities. Droplets of sebacate, solid ammonium sulfate and agglomerates of elemental carbon were used in the tests, representing the major chemical and structural types of particles encountered in urban aerosol. Particles in the ultrafine range (10–100 nm) are sized by electrical mobility (SMPS, DMPS and EAS) and the “spectrometers” gave very similar size distributions for these aerosols. The integrated number concentrations were on average within 20% of the directly measured total number concentrations. Particles with a size between 0.1 and 2.5 μm, in which most of the volume/mass is concentrated, are being differently classified in the three “spectrometers”, respectively, with a low- and a high-flow LAS-X, and field charging in the EAS. The agreement between the three instruments in this size range was less good, which was partly caused by signal overload in the high-flow optical sizer, which was solved using a larger threshold. A complication occurred with the elemental carbon, which was composed of highly agglomerated entities. Particles, sized by the mobility instrumentation as being in the range of 100–400 nm, were not detected by the optical sizers. Volume (spectra) for ammonium sulfate deduced from the number spectra were compared with the mass (spectra) obtained with cascade impactors. The comparison was good for the LAS-Xs; the EAS overestimated volume/mass.     

An Inexpensive Dual-Chamber Particle Monitor: Laboratory Characterization

Abstract

In developing countries, high levels of particle pollution from the use of coal and biomass fuels for household cooking and heating are a major cause of ill health and premature mortality. The cost and complexity of existing monitoring equipment, combined with the need to sample many locations, make routine quantification of household particle pollution levels difficult. Recent advances in technology, however, have enabled the development of a small, portable, data-logging particle monitor modified from commercial smoke alarm technology that can meet the needs of surveys in the developing world at reasonable cost. Laboratory comparisons of a prototype particle monitor developed at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) with gravi-metric filters, a tapered element oscillating microbalance, and a TSI DustTrak to quantify the UCB particle monitor response as a function of both concentration and particle size and to examine sensor response in relation to changes in temperature, relative humidity, and elevation are presented here. UCB particle monitors showed good linearity in response to different concentrations of laboratory-generated oleic acid aerosols with a coarse (mass median diameter, 2.1 µm) and fine (mass median diameter, 0.27–0.42 µm) size distributions (average r² = 0.997 ± 0.005). The photoelectric and ionization chamber showed a wide range of responses based on particle size and, thus, require calibration with the aerosol of interest. The ionization chamber was five times more sensitive to fine rather than coarse particles, whereas the photoelectric chamber was five times more sensitive to coarse than fine. The ratio of the response between the two sensors has the potential for mass calibration of individual data points based on estimated parameters of the size distribution. The results demonstrate the significant potential of this monitor, which will facilitate the evaluation of interventions (improved fuels, stoves, and ventilation) on indoor air pollution levels and research on the impacts of indoor particle levels on health in developing countries.