Elisabeth Andrews
Lead Mentor: NSA
University of Colorado
The aethalometer provides a real-time readout of the concentration of “black” or “elemental” carbon aerosol particles (BC or E) in an air stream. It measures the rate of change of optical transmission through a spot on a filter where aerosol is continuously collected and calculates the concentration of optically absorbing material in the sample. With a built-in reference check of the optical source and a mass flowmeter to monitor air flow rate, the aethalometer calculates the mean BC content of the sampled air stream and provides on-the-spot readout.