Ultrafine particles (UFP) are a growing concern in various sectors, including aviation, because of their impact on health and the increasing attention from legislation and regulation. Although ultrafine particles are emitted at high altitude during flight, considerable quantities of these particles are released during take-off and landing. This leads to raised concentrations of ultrafine particles in and around airports, with direct consequences for local residents. These nanoparticles, smaller than 100 nanometres, penetrate deep into the body and are associated with serious health problems such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Measuring UFP is therefore attracting ever more attention.
The updated EU Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (EU 2024/2881) underlines the need to measure UFP as part of stricter air quality standards. Measuring these emissions accurately plays a key role in complying with regulations and improving air quality in and around sensitive environments such as airports, thereby helping to achieve a toxic-free environment by 2050 at the latest. The standard states:
'' It is important that pollutants of increasing concern, such as ultrafine particles, ...... are measured at monitoring supersites, at both rural background locations and urban background locations, in order to support scientific understanding of their effects on human health and the environment, as recommended by the WHO. ''
BaSystemen offers innovative solutions for measuring UFP
BaSystemen offers advanced technologies developed specifically to address the challenges of ultrafine particle monitoring. With our instruments, environmental scientists, air quality specialists and public authorities can collect real-time, accurate data on ultrafine particle emissions, with a precision that surpasses traditional measuring methods.
- Versatile applications: the solutions from Naneos Particle Solutions are suitable for use in a wide variety of environments. They can measure UFP emissions directly at aircraft engines or in indoor spaces such as terminals, but they can also measure UFP over long periods in order to map air quality at fixed monitoring locations.
- Practical insights: by focusing on UFP emissions, our equipment provides valuable data with which professionals can better understand and address the impact of emissions on air quality and public health.
Integrating UFP measurements into standard procedures goes beyond merely complying with legal obligations. It is a crucial step towards better air quality and the protection of the health of millions of people who work or live near sources of ultrafine particles, such as airports. BaSystemen is the Dutch partner to help you realise this mission together. With our innovative tools and your expertise in monitoring, managing and reducing UFP emissions at source, together we promote a healthier living and working environment.
Measuring UFP in the workplace
In the workplace, ultrafine particles can be a significant source of health risks. Workplaces where combustion processes, welding, 3D printing, metalworking or other industrial processes take place often generate high concentrations of UFP. These particles are so small that they can not only penetrate deep into the lungs, but can also be absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs. Long-term exposure must therefore be avoided at all times.
Because UFP are invisibly small and may penetrate standard dust filters, they represent an invisible danger that is often overlooked. For employees in high-risk environments such as factories, laboratories or workshops, it is therefore crucial to measure and monitor exposure levels accurately.
UFP and the Dutch Working Conditions Act
In the Netherlands, the Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) makes employers responsible for creating a healthy and safe working environment. This also includes minimising exposure to harmful substances, including ultrafine particles. The Act obliges employers to identify and evaluate risks (RI&E) and, on that basis, to take appropriate measures to protect employees. In the context of UFP this includes, among other things:
• Measuring UFP to gain insight into exposure
• Control measures
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Information and training
Measuring UFP in the environment / ambient monitoring
More and more customers are using the Partector 2 and Partector 2 Pro for continuous ambient monitoring rather than for shorter exposure measurements. Carrying out such measurements and guaranteeing high data quality is more complex than performing short-duration measurements indoors.
The Partector 2 is very compact and needs little power. The device can run on battery for weeks or be powered by a small solar panel. Because of its small size it can also be mounted in a small protective housing. This makes it very attractive for ambient measurements at locations that are not normally covered by monitoring networks. If you want to use the Partector for such measurements, there are a number of important points to bear in mind.
A recent article by Asbach et. al. compares a Partector 2 Pro with a CEN-compliant SMPS system. They corrected the Partector 2 data for the correction factor applied by the SMPS system.
The Naneos partector is used by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) to monitor urban air quality in Lausanne. Ten instruments have been mounted on public transport buses in Lausanne and their measurement data is sent to the server via the mobile telephone network. The partector is ideally suited to this kind of deployment because it requires very little maintenance.
The Partector 2 is or has also been used at various airports (Basel, Zürich, Schiphol, Madrid, etc.) for stationary and mobile measurements of ultrafine particles, in order to gain a better understanding of the personal exposure of staff working in specific areas, how exposure can be improved by applying new procedures, and the overall impact of ultrafine particle air pollution in the wider airport area.
Measuring UFP with the Naneos Partector series
The Naneos Partector series consists of a range of ideal solutions for measuring UFP in the environment or in the workplace. The equipment is compact, portable and easy to use, which makes it suitable for real-time monitoring in a variety of industrial environments.
The partector series uses diffusion charging technology, so no complex pumps or optical components are required. This makes the device robust and little prone to faults, which is an advantage in environments where measuring equipment has to withstand demanding conditions. The partector measures particle size distribution, LDSA concentration, particle number concentration, average particle diameter, surface area concentration and UFP mass concentration
Applications in the workplace
Personal UFP measurement
By giving the Partector to employees to carry, personal exposure to UFP over a working day can be monitored.
Identifying risk areas
The device can be used to identify "hotspots" of UFP concentrations in the workplace, so that targeted measures can be taken.
Checking the effectiveness of ventilation and filtration systems
The Partector can help evaluate how well ventilation systems and filters remove UFP.
Accurate UFP measurement with the Naneos Partector Series
The Partector series from Naneos offers the latest generation of instruments for monitoring ultrafine particles (UFP). These compact and extremely advanced devices, such as the Partector 2 and Partector 2 Pro, are specially designed to give real-time insight into nanoparticle concentrations, including particle number (PN) and lung-deposited surface area (LDSA).
The Partector series is versatile and meets the strictest standards. From airports and industrial facilities to urban areas, our equipment helps occupational hygienists, environmental scientists and air quality experts to measure UFP.
Discover how the Partector takes your projects to a higher level with accurate, real-time data and advanced technology.
Request more information about measuring UFP
Would you like to measure UFP effectively and improve air quality? Contact us today for more information about our advanced UFP monitoring equipment and discover how our technology makes your projects simpler and more efficient. Health and innovation are central to what we do. You can easily request a quote for the purchase or rental of our equipment via the product pages.
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