CEN/TC 264/WG 32 - Air quality - Determination of the particle number concentration

This document describes a standard method for determining particle number size distributions in ambient air in the size range from 10 nm to 800 nm at total concentrations up to approximately 10^5 cm^-3 with a time resolution of a few minutes. The standard method is based on a Mobility Particle Size Spectrometer (MPSS) used with a bipolar diffusion charger and a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) as the detector. The document describes the performance characteristics and minimum requirements of the instruments and equipment to be used, and describes sampling, operation, data processing and QA/QC procedures, including calibration.

This Technical Specification describes a standard method for determining the particle number concentration in ambient air in a range up to about 107 cm–3 for averaging times equal to or larger than 1 min. The standard method is based on a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) operated in the counting mode and an appropriate dilution system for concentrations exceeding the counting mode range. It also defines the performance characteristics and the minimum requirements of the instruments to be used. The lower and upper sizes considered within this document are 7 nm and a few micrometres, respectively. This document describes sampling, operation, data processing and QA/QC procedures including calibration parameters.

This European Standard specifies a standard method for determining the particle number concentration in ambient air in a range up to about 107 cm–3 for averaging times equal to or larger than 1 min. The standard method is based on a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) operated in the counting mode and an appropriate dilution system for concentrations exceeding the counting mode range. It also defines the performance characteristics and the minimum requirements of the instruments to be used. The lower and upper sizes considered within this document are 10 nm and a few micrometres, respectively. This document describes sampling, operation, data processing and QA/QC procedures including calibration parameters.