PM100 | Dust Monitoring | TSP | Particulate Matter Source | OIZOM Academy
Channel: Oizom
Date: 2021-01-06

Read more at https://oizom.com/knowledege-bank/dust-monitoring-pm100/

“PM” (Particulate Matter) is not a single pollutant, but refers to a complex mixture of solids and aerosols of varying shape, size, and chemical composition and may contain many chemical species like organic compounds, inorganic ios, metallic compounds, elementary carbon, etc. These atmospheric particles are defined by their diameter for air quality regulatory purposes.

The particulate matter that is less than or equal to 100 micrometres in diameter is collectively known as PM100. They are also known as “inhalable dust” as this fraction of the particulate matter can enter the nose and/or mouth while breathing and gets deposited in the air passages between the mouth, the nose, and the larynx. Once released into the atmosphere, they tend to settle as they are heavier. Examples include wood particles, dust, etc.

Sources
Particulate matter PM100 is either directly emitted into the atmosphere from various sources. The natural sources of particulate matter are wind-blown dust from open land, dirt, soil erosion, etc. 

Health Impact
The potential of the particulate matter to affect human health depends directly on the size of particulate matter. The particles with less 100μm diameter generally enter the nose and throat. The majority of these dust are caught in the nasal hairs and are removed by blowing nose, coughing or sneezing, however some may penetrate head airways, and enter lung airways.

When inhaled, if PM100 particles are not exhaled or cleared out from the respiratory tract, they remain in the same location and may cause adverse health effects such as by allergic reactions, heart diseases, silicosis, etc. It can irritate the nose, throat, and even eyes. 

Environmental Impact
The major environmental impacts of PM100 pollution are visibility reduction and deposition. High levels of PM100 causes visible air pollution affecting the aesthetics of the surrounding environment before they settle down. The settling of the air-borne PM100 on plants, soil, and water ecosystems have harmful effects on them. The metal and organic compounds reduce plant growth and yield while the deposition of PM into water bodies affects its quality and clarity. 

Possible corrective measures 
The primary step is dust monitoring to identify the areas with high particulate levels In addition to this, the following corrective measures can be taken:

Limit outdoor activities and close windows and vents during times of high air pollution.
Avoid areas with traffic congestions, construction activities, or unpaved roads. Breathing such polluted air daily also leads to health effects in the long run. 
Eliminate the use of the fireplace, wood stove, gas-powered lawn, or garden equipment. 
Eliminate open burning of leaves, trash or other materials
Different working principles for dust monitoring in the ambient environment are Gravimetric, Beta Attenuation (BAM), and Laser scattering 

Laser Scattering – The dust monitor based on the physical principle of light scattering, also known as optical particle counter (OPC), measures dust particles illuminated by laser light at a 90° angle. The light scattered from each particle is collected at approximately 90° by a mirror and detected by a photo-diode. This signal is then fed into a multi-channel size classifier where a pulse height analyzer is used to classify each pulse that is proportional to the particle size.

Among all the above principles of PM100 monitoring, PM monitors based on laser scattering are typically found to be preferred for ambient air monitoring as they yield quick and accurate measurements.

Oizom’s working principle for Dust monitoring
Oizom’s DUSTROID is an online particulate monitoring system that measures the concentration of various particulate sizes ranging from 1 micron to 100 microns such as PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and PM100 in the ambient air. Our PM sensor works on the principle of laser scattering. The active sampling powered sensor-based air quality monitor DUSTROID can be used for dust monitoring in areas with dust-laden activities like construction, mining, quarrying, ports, metallurgical processes, and many more. The data gathered from Dustroid can assist in setting up a threshold for the particulates and activate the air purification systems immediately.

5 reasons why Dust monitoring is important:
PM is a complex mixture of solid and aerosols with a very small size that can easily enter the nose and/or mouth while breathing.
Particulate matter is emitted into the atmosphere from combustion processes, cruising or grinding activities, resuspension of dust and dirt from roads, soil, etc. 
When inhaled, it irritates the eyes, nose, throat, and the airways and the toxic substances in the PM may lead to other adverse health impacts such as nasal cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, etc.
Dust monitoring is an efficient way to detect high concentrations of particulate matter and prevent high-level exposures.