…What you need to know about the emerging technology of low-cost particle sensors and the EPA’s finding.
Air pollutant testing organizations, sensor manufacturers, and developers, such as Met One Instruments, Inc., are well aware of the increase in current demand for monitoring products to be more affordable and accessible to the public. Not every community and organization interested in testing air quality can afford or needs instruments designed to meet strict regulatory performance requirements.
The industry has responded with a concerted effort to provide cost-effective and accessible instrumentation, such as Met One’s all-new Aerocet 532 handheld dual-mode particle mass (PM) monitor and counter or the Aerocet 831 aerosol mass monitor. This new class of affordable handheld particle monitors means that more people worldwide will have access to testing their air quality than ever before!
… In their brand new report, The EPA addresses “Air Sensor Performance Targets & Testing Protocols.”
Air sensor data can be highly variable. Many new and popular handheld particle counters hitting the market lack consistent testing protocol because they are not regulated. This lack of oversight has produced many questions regarding the data integrity of a low-cost sensor and how accurate its readings are.
To combat this problem, the EPA has created its own set of protocols, metrics, and target values offering the public an unbiased assessment of this new class of devices that fall under the category of non-regulatory supplemental and informational monitoring (NSIM). The EPA’s report can help the public identify which NSIM device would be best suited for their (non-regulatory air monitoring) needs. The decision by the EPA to publish this report is much-needed guidance for the evaluation of NSIM products– products that Met One Instruments, Inc. is committed to producing.
WHY DID THE EPA USE THE MET ONE INSTRUMENTS, INC. BAM 1020 FEM PM2.5 TO TEST FOR ACCURACY COMPARING NEW NSIM PARTICLE MONITORS?
For over 30 years, Met One Instruments, Inc. has been a leader in providing reliable, accurate particulate monitoring instruments. We have always utilized consistent testing protocols and procedures in manufacturing our products to ensure data integrity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency chose MOI’s BAM 1020 FEM PM2.5 as a reference monitor, acting as a measure to compare NSIM sensor accuracy for this study.
The BAM 1020, certified as a Federal Reference & Equivalent Method instrument, is the flagship of the Met One Instruments, Inc. BAM line, with certifications in the United States, Europe, China, Korea, and Taiwan. More than 15,000 BAM 1020 monitors have been sold to date in 197 countries around the globe, including in US Embassies and Consulates reporting to the US EPA’s AirNow particulate monitoring network. AirNow provides the Air Quality Index (AQI) across the United States of America. There are BAM 1020’s in all 50 states to provide a more comprehensive picture of air quality throughout.
WHICH MET ONE INSTRUMENTS, INC. NSIM DEVICES MADE IT INTO THE EPA AIR SENSOR TOOLBOX REPORT?
In addition to employing the BAM 1020 as the FEM control monitor, the EPA utilized two different studies that tested the Aerocet 831 NSIM instrument, designed and manufactured by Met One Instruments, Inc. in their Fine Particulate Matter report, measuring PM2.5.
Met One Instruments, Inc. is continually innovating and expanding our line of NSIM products for a broad range of applications. Learn more below and start measuring air quality in your home, workplace, neighborhood, school, and beyond with our easy-to-use, reliable instrumentation.
Need More Information?
🔗 Read EPA Overview “Air Sensor Performance Targets & Protocols”
🔗 View the EPA’s “Evaluation of Emerging Air Sensor Performance”
NSIM Devices Created by Met One Instruments, Inc.
🔗 Aerocet 831 Aerosol Mass Monitor
🔗 ALL-NEW Aerocet 532 handheld dual Particle Mass Monitor & Counter
🔗 BT-645 Benchtop Particulate Monitor
🔗 Model 804 Handheld Particle Counter
🔗 GT-324 Handheld Particle Counter
🔗 Aerocet 531S Handheld Particle Mass Profiler & Counter
🔗 ES-412 Portable Simultaneous Particulate Profiler
🔗 ES-405 Simultaneous Particulate Profiler
🔗 NPM 2 Network Particulate Monitor
