At TSI Incorporated, Particle Science Meets Environmental Testing and Ambient Air Monitoring.

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) have become a key area of interest in environmental monitoring and related studies as they have shown to have potentially significant impacts on air quality and health. With a wide range of environmental monitoring solutions -- that are easy to install and operate; have flexible, convenient data acquisition options; and boast long-term, problem free performance requiring minimal maintenance -- researchers the world over have come to rely upon TSI’s Environmental Monitoring instruments.

TSI particle instruments and environmental monitoring solutions are providing invaluable data at diverse outdoor locations to help researchers better understand the world around us. From the high mountains to the Grand Canyon, from the Arctic to the hearts of large cities, our instruments have been part of this critical environmental research for over 40 years. 

TSI Offers for Environmental Monitoring Solutions for Measuring Ambient Air and Ultrafine Particles (UFP)

What are Ultrafine Particles (UFP)? 

• USEPA definition: Ultra-fine particles are <100nm
• UFPs occur in massive numbers in urban air but essentially have no measurable mass
• Most common source in urban environment is vehicle exhaust

Ultra-Fine Particles (UFP) and Mass Measurements 

• Traditional mass based measurements like PM10 and PM2.5 do not represent UFPs
• Number of coarse (PM10) particles <1000x lower than UFPs, yet make up ~99% of mass
• It takes a million UFPs (100nm) to equal the mass of one 10 micron particle

Why Conduct Environmental Monitoring of Ultra-Fine Particles? 

• Potential Health Effects: There is currently no definitive answer as to whether UFP are associated with negative health effects, but it an active area of interest worldwide.
• Increased Exposure to Ultra-fines: Mounting evidence indicates that UFP exposure is higher than originally surmised. Recent studies show exposure near roadways, airports, tunnels and schools to be quite high.
• Air Quality/Visibility Effects: Ultrafine particles from combustion sources are frequently hygroscopic. At high relative humidity condensing water enlarges them to a size that is efficient at scattering light and interfere with visibility, so they significantly contribute to haze and smog.

TSI has trusted environmental monitoring solutions that are proven to be reliable for measuring ultrafine particles and much more.  Contact a TSI expert for more information today!