Particulate Matter: What is it?

Particulate Matter (PM) is a critical air pollutant and is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) as a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles are large enough to be seen with the naked eye; think of dust and smoke. Others are too small to be seen without the aid of an electron microscope.

 

Solid PM is, typically, categorized in two group sizes; 10 micron (particles no larger than 10 micrometers) and 2.5 micron (particles no larger than 2.5 micrometers.)

Smaller PM is generally more dangerous to human health because its smaller size makes it easier to travel through the lung filtering system and into the bloodstream.  It is more likely to contain cancer-causing heavy metals and organic compounds.

 

The air quality monitor, RAMP, is an easily deployable, low-cost monitoring platform that is capable of detecting up to five gaseous chemical pollutants, temperature, humidity, particulate matter, and meteorological conditions in ambient air.

Reach out to Diamond Scientific for more information.

 

Image credit: US EPA