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A PULSED CONDENSATION PARTICLE COUNTER FOR COST EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF ULTRAFINE AIRBORNE PARTICLES

Award Number: R44ES031458
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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A PULSED CONDENSATION PARTICLE COUNTER FOR COST EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF ULTRAFINE AIRBORNE PARTICLES ABSTRACT This project will develop and validate a new approach for affordably monitoring the number concentration of ultrafine airborne particles. Ultrafine particles are specifically implicated in health, and yet are not detected by lower-cost sensors. Our approach is a Pulsed Condensation Particle Counter that uses adiabatic expansion combined with single particle counting. Our Phase I results demonstrate that this approach is reliable over months of continuous operation, with ±10% agreement with expensive, research-grade condensation particle counters. Our target is an affordable portable instrument, priced at a fraction of the cost of current instruments, that measures the particle number concentration with known accuracy and precision. The envisioned commercial instrument will include a commercial optical counter and report ultrafine particle number concentration and estimated PM2.5 mass. This Phase II project will improve the performance of the Phase I system, refine the supporting components, and integrate the electronics and components into a compact system. The complete prototype system will be tested under both laboratory and field conditions. Instrument precision and accuracy over a range of particle sizes and concentrations will be evaluated with monodispersed, laboratory aerosols, using particle sizes ranging from 5 nm to 2500 nm, and concentrations from near zero to several hundred thousand per cubic centimeter. Instrument robustness will be evaluated through stress-testing at extremes in temperature (5°- 40°C) and humidity (5%-95%). Monitoring performance and stability will be tested through comparison with collocated benchtop instruments over weeks of unattended operation. Measurements under field conditions will be conducted in collaboration with a local university exposure study. Validation as a monitor will be done in collaboration with an air monitoring district. The objective is a compact, cost-effective monitor with a particle detection limit below 5 nm, with precision of ±10% for concentrations between 10 - 104/cm3, and precision of at least ±15% for concentrations reaching 105/cm3, and data recovery of at least 90%.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2023	AEROSOL DYNAMICS INC	935 GRAYSON ST	BERKELEY	CA	94710	ALAMEDA	USA	Environmental Health	000	3	3/4/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $612,102 )
2023	2023	AEROSOL DYNAMICS INC	935 GRAYSON ST	ALBANY	CA	94710	ALAMEDA	USA	Environmental Health	000	3	3/15/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$612,102
														Subtotal = $612,102

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $610,651 )
2022	2022	AEROSOL DYNAMICS INC.	935 GRAYSON ST.	BERKELEY	CA	94710	ALAMEDA	USA	Environmental Health	000	2	3/31/2022	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$610,651
														Subtotal = $610,651

Grand Total All Awards = $1,222,753

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A PULSED CONDENSATION PARTICLE COUNTER FOR COST EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF ULTRAFINE AIRBORNE PARTICLES

Award Number: R44ES031458

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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