In the last couple of weeks it has again become very evident: aerosols (i.e. particulate matter) are difficult to combat and difficult to measure. Aerosols are a mixture of solid and liquid particles in our atmosphere and knowledge about their composition and size distribution is of major importance. It is known that these particles form a health hazard in urban areas. However, it is still unclear how these health risks are related to the composition and size distribution of aerosols.
The MARGA monitoring system for aerolsols. The components to be measured are totaly absorbed in a water like solution and analysed on-line by ionchromatography.
The Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has developed a new instrument to measure accurately not only the aerosol components but also the gas-phase concentration of volatile substances like ammonia and nitric acid. According to René Otjes, ECN project leader for MARGA: "The problem lies in the volatile nature of some components. Nitrate for example can be deposited on to the filter that is used in conventional measuring instruments, but will evaporate slowly. With these earlier instruments one could not determine accurately the concentration of the nitrate. And that is crucial in this research. If we know the concentration of certain components exactly, then we can calculate the origin of the components and we can reduce or even prevent their emission."
In recent years there has been a rising demand for this new kind of instrument, especially from foreign agencies. A search was conducted to find a company capable of production, sales and services. Applikon Analytical BV in Schiedam, with its world-wide network, appeared to be the perfect partner for ECN. This cooperation has resulted in a measuring instrument called MARGA, Monitoring Instrument for AeRosols and GAses, which is now ready for market introduction.
The Environmental Protection Agency EPA has recently bought 3 MARGA's and is testing them at locations in Washington DC and in North Carolina. MARGA is seen by the EPA as the new instrument to monitor air quality over an extended period of time. At first, the EPA wants to install 30 to 40 MARGA's at locations throughout the United States. The European Agency on Air Quality EMEP supports the use of MARGA in the Netherlands and in Scotland. The German Max Planck Institute in Mainz has already deployed MARGA to monitor the air quality in Brazil.
ECN en Applikon Analytica BV will further develop the MARGA so that this instrument can measure all components from which aerosols are composed. In this way we can find an answer to questions like: where does particulate matter come from, why is it dangerous to our health, how can we dispose of it, and is the present policy to reduce aerosols effective?
Contact:
René Otjes
ECN Biomass, Coal and Environmental research
Tel: (+31) 224 - 56 4264
otjes@ecn.nl
Delft, 23 april 2013
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