Design and Performance of a Low-Cost Micro-Channel Aerosol Collector

Aerosol sampling and identification is vital for assessment and control of particulate matter pollution, airborne pathogens, allergens and toxins, and their effect on air quality, human health, and climate change. Assays capable of accurate identification and quantification of chemical and biological airborne components of aerosol provide very limited sampling time resolution and relatively dilute samples. A low-cost micro-channel collector (μCC) which offers fine temporal and spatial resolution, high collection efficiency, and delivers highly concentrated samples in very small liquid volumes was developed and tested. The design and optimization of this μCC was guided by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Collection efficiency tests of the sampler were performed in a well-mixed aerosol chamber using aerosolized fluorescent microspheres in the 0.5–6 μm diameter range. Samples were collected in the μCC and eluted into 100 μL liquid aliquots; bulk fluorescence measurements were used to determine the performance of the collector. Typical collection efficiencies were above 50% for 0.5 μm particles and 90% for particles larger than 1 μm. The experimental results agreed with the CFD modeling for particles larger than 2 μm, but smaller particles were captured more efficiently than predicted by the CFD modeling. Nondimensional analysis of capture efficiencies showed good agreement for a specific geometry but suggested that the effect of channel curvature needs to be further investigated.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Modification and laboratory evaluation of a TSI ultrafine condensation particle counter (Model 3776) for airborne measurements

A butanol-type ultrafine condensation particle counter (UCPC, Model 3776, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN, USA), which can achieve a 50% detection efficiency diameter (d₅₀) of 2.5 nm using a capillary-sheath structure, was modified and tested in the laboratory for airborne measurements. The aerosol flow rate through the capillary is a key factor affecting the quantification of aerosol particle number concentrations. A pressure-dependent correction factor for the aerosol flow rate was determined using a newly added mass flow meter for the sheath flow and the external calibration system. The effect of particle coincidence in the optical sensing volume was evaluated using an aerosol electrometer (AE, Model 3068B, TSI, Inc.) as a reference. An additional correction factor for the coincidence effect was derived to improve the quantification accuracy at higher concentrations. The particle detection efficiency relative to the AE was measured for mobility diameters of 3.1–50 nm and inlet absolute pressures of 101–40 kPa. The pressure dependence of the d₅₀ value, asymptotic detection efficiency, and shape of the particle detection efficiency curve is discussed, along with simple theoretical calculations for the diffusion loss of particles and the butanol saturation ratio in the condenser.

© 2017 American Association for Aerosol Science     

Characteristics of traffic-induced fugitive dust from unpaved roads

The characteristics of fugitive dust emitted from vehicles traveling on unpaved dirt roads were measured using a suite of instruments including a real-time fugitive dust sampler. The fugitive dust sampler is formed from a combination of a large particle inlet and an optical particle spectrometer that reports particle sizes from 6 to 75 µm. The large particle inlet permits the sampling of particles up to 75 µm with only a moderate dependence of sampling efficiency on wind-speed. Measurements made with the sampler showed that particles as large as ～50 µm were suspended from vehicular movement on the dirt roads, with the mode of the fugitive dust particle number size distribution ～2 µm, while the mass distribution mode was ～7 µm. A comparison of the fugitive dust sampler measurements with those made using standard PM instruments showed that the conventional instruments have a wind-direction bias that can result in under-sampling of large particles. The current measurements suggest that particles suspended from dirt roadways are of importance for local air quality within the near-road environment.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Numerical analysis of the dynamics of aerosol inertial collection and aggregation on raindrops

A three-dimensional stochastic model is developed for predicting atmospheric aerosol collection and aggregation on the surface of a falling raindrop at its terminal velocity. Potential flow and viscous flow are assumed as the flow fields in the vicinity of the large and the small raindrops, respectively. The results show that hydrophobic coarse mode aerosols collected by either small raindrops (d_c < 100 μm) or large drops (d_c > 100 μm) form aggregations on the surfaces of drops, and accumulation mode aerosols tend to be captured by the aggregations or hydrophobic coarse particles which have been collected by the drops, and this may significantly enhance the capability of the raindrop for fine aerosol collection. When the aggregation effect is considered in the calculation, fine aerosol efficiency can be promoted by one to two orders of magnitude. Therefore, fine particle collision efficiency by raindrops is underestimated by employing the classical dynamic theory which neglects the particle aggregation effect. However, the collection efficiency of coarse particles remains almost constant with the increase in the amount of particles collected by large drops, while there is only a slight increase in efficiency by small raindrops upon increasing in particle concentration. This implies that the traditional limiting trajectory method can still be used for the calculation of coarse particle collection efficiencies by either small or large raindrops.

Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Unique DNA-barcoded aerosol test particles for studying aerosol transport

Data are presented for the first use of novel DNA-barcoded aerosol test particles that have been developed to track the fate of airborne contaminants in populated environments. Until DNATrax (DNA Tagged Reagents for Aerosol eXperiments) particles were developed, there was no way to rapidly validate air transport models with realistic particles in the respirable range of 1–10 μm in diameter. The DNATrax particles, developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and tested with the assistance of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, are the first safe and effective materials for aerosol transport studies that are identified by DNA molecules. The use of unique synthetic DNA barcodes overcomes the challenges of discerning the test material from pre-existing environmental or background contaminants (either naturally occurring or previously released). The DNATrax particle properties are demonstrated to have appropriate size range (approximately 1–4.5 μm in diameter) to accurately simulate bacterial spore transport. Here, we describe details of the first field test of the DNATrax aerosol test particles in a large indoor facility.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Development of a Technology for Online Measurement of Total and Water-Soluble Copper (Cu) in PM2.5

A novel monitor for online, in situ measurement of copper (Cu) in ambient fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) was developed based on a recent published high flow rate aerosol-into-liquid collector. This aerosol-into-liquid collector operates at 200 L/min flow and collects particles directly as highly concentrated slurry samples. The Cu concentration in slurry samples is subsequently determined by a cupric ion selective electrode (ISE). Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the cupric ISE. The calibration curve of the cupric ISE was determined using Cu(NO₃)₂ standard solutions prepared by serial dilution. As part of the evaluation, the effects of ionic strength, temperature and pH of the aerosol slurry sample on the cupric ISE measurement were also evaluated. The Cu measurement system performance was evaluated by collecting and measuring samples of lab-generated Cu(NO₃)₂ aerosols with known mass concentration. Overall, very good agreement between the theoretical and measured Cu concentrations was obtained, corroborating the excellent high overall collection efficiency and measurement accuracy of the Cu measurement system. Field evaluations of the online Cu monitor demonstrated very good agreement for total and water-soluble Cu concentrations with measurements performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), suggesting that interferences from other components of particulate matter are minimal under real world sampling conditions. Moreover, the field tests indicated that the new online Cu monitor could achieve near-continuous collection and measurements (at 2–4 h intervals) for at least 4 to 7 days without any obvious shortcomings in its operation. Both laboratory and field evaluations of the online Cu monitor indicate that it is an effective and valuable technology for PM collection and characterization of Cu in ambient aerosols and provides the foundation for the wider use of ISE for metal analysis and speciation of aerosols.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

A practical set of miniaturized instruments for vertical profiling of aerosol physical properties

In situ atmospheric aerosol measurements have been performed from a Manta unmanned aircraft system (UAS) using recently developed miniaturized aerosol instruments. Flights were conducted up to an altitude of 3000 m (AMSL) during spring 2015 in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway. We use these flights to demonstrate a practical set of miniaturized instruments that can be deployed onboard small UASs and can provide valuable information on ambient aerosol. Measured properties include size-resolved particle number concentrations, aerosol absorption coefficient, relative humidity, and direct sun intensity. From these parameters, it is possible to derive a comprehensive set of aerosol optical properties: aerosol optical depth, single scattering albedo, and asymmetry parameter. The combination of instruments also allows us to determine the aerosol hygroscopicity.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Emission measurements with gravimetric impactors and electrical devices: An aerosol instrument comparison

Particulate matter in the atmosphere is known to affect Earth’s climate and to be harmful to human health. Accurately measuring particles from emission sources is important, as the results are used to inform policies and climate models. This study compares the results of two ELPI?+?devices, two PM10 cascade impactors and an eFilter, in combustion emission measurements. The comparison of the instruments in a realistic setting shows what types of challenges arise from measuring an emission aerosol with unknown particle morphologies and densities, different particle concentrations and high temperature. Our results show that the PM10 cascade impactors have very good intercorrelation when the collected mass is greater than 150?µg, but below that, the uncertainty of the results increases with decreasing mass. The raw signals of two ELPI?+?devices were nearly identical in most samples, as well as the particle number concentrations and size distributions calculated from raw signals; however, transforming the current distributions into mass distributions showed variation in the mass concentration of particles larger than 1?µm. The real-time time signal measured by eFilter was similar to the total current measured by ELPI+. The eFilter and PM10 cascade impactors showed similar particle mass concentrations, whereas ELPI?+?showed clearly higher ones in most cases. We concluded that the difference is at least partially due to volatile components being measured by ELPI+, but not by the mass collection measurements.

Copyright © 2019 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Assessing the accuracy of complex refractive index retrievals from single aerosol particle cavity ring-down spectroscopy

Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) of single, optically manipulated aerosol particles affords quantitative retrieval of refractive indices for particles of fixed or evolving composition with high precision. Here, we quantify the accuracy with which refractive index determinations can be made by CRDS for single particles confined within the core of a Bessel laser beam and how that accuracy is degraded as the particle size is progressively reduced from the coarse mode (>1 μm radius) to the accumulation mode (<500 nm radius) regime. We apply generalized Lorenz–Mie theory to the intra-cavity standing wave to explore the effect of particle absorption on the distribution of extinction cross section determinations resulting from stochastic particle motion in the Bessel beam trap. The analysis provides an assessment of the accuracy with which the real, n, and imaginary, κ, components of the refractive index can be determined for a single aerosol particle.

Published with license by American Association for Aerosol Research     

Comparative Testing and Evaluation of Nine Different Air Samplers: End-to-End Sampling Efficiencies as Specific Performance Measurements for Bioaerosol Applications

Accurate exposure assessments are needed to evaluate health hazards caused by airborne microorganisms and require air samplers that efficiently capture representative samples. This highlights the need for samplers with well-defined performance characteristics. While generic aerosol performance measurements are fundamental to evaluate/compare samplers, the added complexity caused by the diversity of microorganisms, especially in combination with cultivation-based analysis methods, may render such measurements inadequate to assess suitability for bioaerosols. Specific performance measurements that take into account the end-to-end sampling process, targeted bioaerosol and analysis method could help guide selection of air samplers.

Nine different samplers (impactors/impingers/cyclones/ electrostatic precipitators/filtration samplers) were subjected to comparative performance testing in this work. Their end-to-end cultivation-based biological sampling efficiencies (BSEs) and PCR-/microscopy-based physical sampling efficiencies (PSEs) relative to a reference sampler (BioSampler) were determined for gram-negative and gram-positive vegetative bacteria, bacterial spores, and viruses.

Significant differences were revealed among the samplers and shown to depend on the bioaerosol's stress–sensitivity and particle size. Samplers employing dry collection had lower BSEs for stress-sensitive bioaerosols than wet collection methods, while nonfilter-based samplers showed reduced PSEs for 1 μm compared to 4 μm bioaerosols. Several samplers were shown to underestimate bioaerosol concentration levels relative to the BioSampler due to having lower sampling efficiencies, although they generally obtained samples that were more concentrated due to having higher concentration factors.

Our work may help increase user awareness about important performance criteria for bioaerosol sampling, which could contribute to methodological harmonization/standardization and result in more reliable exposure assessments for airborne pathogens and other bioaerosols of interest.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Physical performances and kinetics of evaporation of the CIP 10-M personal sampler's rotating cup containing aqueous or viscous collection fluid

The CIP 10-M personal sampler measures worker exposure to airborne particles by collecting particles in a rotating metal cup containing a few milliliters of a collection fluid. This device is mainly used to sample microorganisms or microbial components to measure bioaerosol concentrations in various occupational environments. Aqueous liquids are generally used, but their rapid evaporation limits the duration of sampling; alternative collection fluids could alleviate this problem. Indeed, the particle-collection efficiency of the rotating cup has not been extensively studied, and the only data available relate to a discontinued model. This study aimed to measure the collection efficiency of the current rotating cup model containing an aqueous (water) or viscous (ViaTrap mineral oil) collection fluid. The kinetics of evaporation confirmed that ViaTrap does not evaporate, making 8-h sampling campaigns in constant volumes feasible. Particles with a wide range of aerodynamic diameters (between around 0.1 and 10 µm) were produced using various test rigs and mono- or polydisperse test aerosols. Both new and older cup models performed similarly, with a collection efficiency of >80% for larger particles (aerodynamic diameters >2.8 µm), progressively decreasing to around 50% for aerodynamic diameters of 2.1 µm; with aerodynamic diameters of <1 µm, the collection efficiency was generally <10%. In physical terms, collection efficiency was unaffected by the type (aqueous or viscous) or volume (between 0 and 3 mL) of collection fluid used. Bias maps indicated that the inhalable fraction may be underestimated in occupational settings, particularly with aerosols mainly composed of particles with aerodynamic diameters of less than around 3 µm.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Assessment of indoor bioaerosols using a lab-made virtual impactor

To assess indoor bioaerosols, a virtual impactor having 1 µm cutoff diameter was designed, fabricated, and evaluated with computational fluid dynamics simulation and also with laboratory test using polystyrene latex particles. Two other cutoff diameters of 635 nm and 1.5 µm were obtained by changing the inlet flow rate and the ratio of minor channel-to-inlet flow rates. In field test, the virtual impactor was operated with varying cutoff diameter and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analysis was performed for each cutoff diameter to observe morphologies of indoor aerosol particles sampled at the major and minor outlet channels. Particles were sampled at both outlet channels using the SKC Button Aerosol sampler and subsequently cultured. By colony counting, it was found that 56% of cultured fungal particles and 63% of cultured bacterial particles had aerodynamic sizes smaller than 1 µm. MALDI-TOF analysis and visual inspection of culture samples were used to identify indoor bacterial and fungal species, respectively. Nearly same species of bacteria and fungi were detected both in the major and minor flow channels.

© 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Spatial aerosol flow maldistribution: A design flaw confounding the proper calibration and data interpretation of stages “0” and “1” of the Andersen eight-stage nonviable cascade impactor

We introduced monodisperse calibrant particles into an eight-stage non-viable Andersen cascade impactor (ACI) operated at 28.3 L/min and separately quantified the particle mass captured under each of the four concentric rings of nozzles on stages 0 and 1, the entry and succeeding stages of this impactor. On both stages, we found that each ring of nozzles has a particle capture efficiency behavior that differs from the others, and the fraction of calibrant particles deposited under each of the individual rings of nozzles depended on the particle size. We believe this behavior derives primarily from a radial flow velocity non-uniformity associated with recirculation zones introduced by the 110° expansion angle of the inlet cone. Because of these recirculation zones, the inertia of particles larger than about 5 µm aerodynamic diameter will cause their point-wise local concentration to differ from the concentration at the inlet entry. This concentration maldistribution continues to stage 1 primarily because of the annular collection plate at stage 0. The influence of the inlet cone aerodynamics on the performance of both stages means that the size of particles deposited on these plates will be uncertain unless the aerosol transport entering the impactor associated with calibration using monodisperse particles exactly simulates the in-use aerosol flow conditions. The degree of realism necessary in the calibration method has heretofore not been discussed in published calibrations of the ACI, introducing uncertainty in the size interpretation of the particle mass collected on stages 0 and 1 in practical applications of this impactor.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Design and Laboratory Evaluation of a Sequential Spot Sampler for Time-Resolved Measurement of Airborne Particle Composition

A new sampling approach has been developed to enable affordable, time-resolved monitoring of particulate chemical composition, and more generally to provide concentrated samples of airborne particles. Using a newly developed, moderated water-based condensational growth technology, individual particle samples are deposited in a 1-mm diameter dry “spot.” The moderated condensation technology enables this collection with minimal temperature rise, providing robust collection for volatile constituents. Measured collection efficiencies are above 95% for particles in the size range from 0.010 μm to 2.5 μm. A set of 20 or more time-resolved samples, plus blanks, may be collected onto a multiwell collection plate. For chemical analysis the plate is returned to the laboratory, and placed directly into a modified autosampler, without extraction or preparation. The autosampler handles the addition of eluent, extraction, and sample injection without user manipulation. This article presents the design and laboratory evaluation of a 1.5 L/min sampling rate version of this system.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of surfactant delivery within a physical model of the neonatal trachea for different aerosol characteristics

Surfactant aerosol delivery in conjunction with a noninvasive respiratory support holds the potential to treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in a safe manner. The objective of the present study was to gain knowledge in order to optimize the geometry of an intracorporeal inhalation catheter and improve surfactant aerosol delivery effectiveness in neonates. Initially, a mathematical model capable of predicting the aerosol flow generated by this inhalation catheter within a physical model of the neonatal trachea was implemented and validated. Subsequently, a numerical study was performed to analyze the effect of the aerosol liquid droplet size and mass flow rate on surfactant delivery and on the required aerosolization time period. Experimental validation of the mathematical model showed a close prediction of the air axial velocity at the distal end of the physical model, with an absolute error between 0.01 and 0.15 m/s. Furthermore, an admissible absolute error between 0.2 and 2 µm was attained in the prediction of the aerosol mean aerodynamic diameter and mass median aerodynamic diameter in this region. The numerical study highlighted the beneficial effects of generating an intracorporeal aerosol with a mass median aerodynamic diameter higher than 4 µm and a surfactant mass flow rate above 8.93 mg/s in order to obtain effective surfactant delivery in neonates with minimal airway manipulation.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Inter-comparison of low-cost sensors for measuring the mass concentration of occupational aerosols

Low-cost sensors are effective for measuring the mass concentration of ambient aerosols and second-hand smoke in homes, but their use at concentrations relevant to occupational settings has not been demonstrated. We measured the concentrations of four aerosols (salt, Arizona road dust, welding fume, and diesel exhaust) with three types of low-cost sensors (a DC1700 from Dylos and two commodity sensors from Sharp), an aerosol photometer, and reference instruments at concentrations up to 6500 µg/m³. Raw output was used to assess sensor precision and develop equations to compute mass concentrations. EPA and NIOSH protocols were used to assess the mass concentrations estimated with low-cost sensors compared to reference instruments. The detection efficiency of the DC1700 ranged from 0.04% at 0.1 µm to 108% at 5 µm, as expected, although misclassification of fine and coarse particles was observed. The raw output of the DC1700 had higher precision (lower coefficient of variation, CV = 7.4%) than that of the two sharp devices (CV = 25% and 17%), a finding attributed to differences in manufacturer calibration. Aerosol type strongly influenced sensor response, indicating the need for on-site calibration to convert sensor output to mass concentration. Once calibrated, however, the mass concentration estimated with low-cost sensors was highly correlated with that of reference instruments (R²= 0.99). These results suggest that the DC1700 and Sharp sensors are useful in estimating aerosol mass concentration for aerosols at concentrations relevant to the workplace.

© 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Preliminary investigation of a water-based method for fast integrating mobility spectrometry

A water-based condensational growth channel was developed for imaging mobility-separated particles within a parallel plate separation channel of the Fast Integrated Mobility Spectrometer (FIMS). Reported are initial tests of that system, in which the alcohol condenser of the FIMS was replaced by a water-based condensational growth channel. Tests with monodispersed sodium chloride aerosol verify that the water-condensational growth maintained the laminar flow, while providing sufficient growth for particle imaging. Particle positions mapped onto particle mobility, in accordance with theoretical expectations. Particles ranging in size from 12 nm to 100 nm were counted with the same efficiency as with a butanol-based ultrafine particle counter, once inlet and line losses were taken into account.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Impact of power level and refill liquid composition on the aerosol output and particle size distribution generated by a new-generation e-cigarette device

The new high-power Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) can generate aerosols with higher nicotine concentrations than older ENDS. Aerosol particle sizes affect deposition patterns and then plasma nicotine levels in vapers. Consequently, understanding the factors influencing particle size distribution of high-power ENDS is relevant to assess their performance in terms of nicotine delivery. The particle size distribution and the aerosol output (aerosol mass) were measured using cascade impactors. The effects of the refill liquid composition (80% PG/20% VG vs. 80% VG/20% PG; PG refers to propylene glycol and VG to vegetable glycerin) and the power level of the battery (from 7 W to 22 W) were investigated. The aerosol output increases significantly with the power level following a logarithmic law. The PG/VG ratio also has an impact on the aerosol output. The higher the VG content in the refill liquid, the higher is the aerosol output. Besides, particle size distribution is positively related to the power level, following linear correlations between the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) and the power level in the range of 7–22 W. A moderate impact of the PG/VG ratio on size distribution is equally observed. Changes in the power level allow the transition between a dominant mode with MMAD from 613 nm to 949 nm. We demonstrated that the power level can strongly change the aerodynamic properties of high-power ENDS, especially at high voltage. Associated with the aerosol nicotine level assessment, MMAD could be determined as a means for comparing ENDS devices and nicotine delivery.

Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Rapid analysis of the size distribution of metal-containing aerosol

Conventional methods to measure the metallic content of particles by size are time consuming and expensive, requiring collection of particles with a cascade impactor and subsequent metals analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In this work, we describe a rapid way to measure the size distribution of metal-containing particles from 10 nm to 20 µm, using a nano micro-orifice uniform-deposit impactor (nano-MOUDI) to size-selectively collect particles that are then analyzed with a field portable X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF) device to determine metal composition and concentration. The nano-MOUDI was used to sample a stainless-steel aerosol produced by a spark discharge system. The particle-laden substrates were then analyzed directly with FP-XRF and then with ICP-MS. Results from FP-XRF were linearly correlated with results from ICP-MS (R² = 0.91 for Fe and R² = 0.84 for Cr). Although the FP-XRF was unable to effectively detect Fe particles at mass per substrate loadings less than 2.5 µg effectively, it produced results similar to those from ICP-MS at a mass per substrate loadings greater than 2.5 µg.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Using a new inversion matrix for a fast-sizing spectrometer and a photo-acoustic instrument to determine suspended particulate mass over a transient cycle for light-duty vehicles

Integrated particle size distribution (IPSD) is a promising alternative method for estimating particulate matter (PM) emissions at low levels. However, a recent light-duty vehicle (LDV) emissions study showed that particle mass estimated using IPSD (M_IPSD) with the TSI Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (EEPS) Default Matrix was 56–75% lower than mass derived using the reference gravimetric method (M_Grav) over the Federal Test Procedure (FTP). In this study, M_IPSD calculated with a new inversion matrix, the Soot Matrix, is compared with M_Grav and also photoacoustic soot mass (M_Soot), to evaluate potential improvement of the IPSD method for estimating PM mass emissions from LDVs. In addition, an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) was used to estimate mass emission rates attributed to larger particles (0.54–2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) that are not measured by the EEPS. Based on testing of 10 light-duty vehicles over the FTP cycle, the Soot Matrix significantly improved agreement between M_IPSD and M_Grav by increasing slopes of M_IPSD/M_Grav from 0.45–0.57 to 0.76–1.01 for gasoline direct injected (GDI) vehicles; however, for port-fuel injection (PFI) gasoline vehicles, a significant discrepancy still existed between M_IPSD and M_Grav, with M_IPSD accounting for 34 ± 37% of M_Grav. For all vehicles, strong correlations between M_IPSD and M_Soot were obtained, indicating the IPSD method is capable of capturing mass of soot particles. The discrepancy between the M_IPSD and M_Grav for PFI vehicles, which have relatively low PM emissions (0.22 to 1.83 mg/mile), could be partially due to limited size range of the EEPS by not capturing larger particles (0.54–2.5 µm) that accounts for ～0.08 mg/mile of PM emission, uncertainties of particle effective density, and/or gas-phase adsorption onto filters that is not detected by in situ aerosol instrumentation.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research