A method for monitoring particulate matter, comprising: capturing particles from flowing air on one or more substrates formed as a movable tape including a first part configured to capture the particles and a second part configured to capture particles and on which particles are not captured concurrently with the capturing of the particles on the first part, the capturing being performed using one or more of electrostatic and mechanical captors, and the one or more substrates being configured to function as waveguides; illuminating the one or more substrates using light directed through the one or more substrates as waveguides; executing one or more sensing operations on the captured particles, the one or more sensing operations including at least an optical sensing operation by: detecting scattered light scattered from the light directed through the one or more substrates by the particles captured on the one or more substrates, and imaging the particles captured on the one or more substrates based at least in part on the scattered light scattered by the captured particles; and analyzing the captured particles based on results of the one or more sensing operations, wherein, when the particles are captured on the substrates, the particles are in a controlled position relative to the substrates that can be maintained for a period of time sufficiently long to perform the one or more sensing operations thereon; and wherein the movable tape is configured to be mechanically advanced to expose different sections of the moveable tape. capturing particles from flowing air on one or more substrates formed as a movable tape including a first part configured to capture the particles and a second part configured to capture particles and on which particles are not captured concurrently with the capturing of the particles on the first part, the capturing being performed using one or more of electrostatic and mechanical captors, and the one or more substrates being configured to function as waveguides; illuminating the one or more substrates using light directed through the one or more substrates as waveguides; executing one or more sensing operations on the captured particles, the one or more sensing operations including at least an optical sensing operation by: detecting scattered light scattered from the light directed through the one or more substrates by the particles captured on the one or more substrates, and imaging the particles captured on the one or more substrates based at least in part on the scattered light scattered by the captured particles; and detecting scattered light scattered from the light directed through the one or more substrates by the particles captured on the one or more substrates, and imaging the particles captured on the one or more substrates based at least in part on the scattered light scattered by the captured particles; and analyzing the captured particles based on results of the one or more sensing operations, wherein, when the particles are captured on the substrates, the particles are in a controlled position relative to the substrates that can be maintained for a period of time sufficiently long to perform the one or more sensing operations thereon; and wherein the movable tape is configured to be mechanically advanced to expose different sections of the moveable tape.