Smart Miniaturized personal monitors for black carbon and multiple air pollutants

说明(改编自应用程序)： 评估个体暴露于空气颗粒物成分的空间和时间变化对于促进我们对城市空气污染对健康影响的理解至关重要。空气颗粒物成分是柴油交通等当地关键污染源的代表。目前的暴露评估方法过于繁琐、嘈杂和劳动密集型，并且不能提供对关键分析物的近实时测量。研究人员建议开发和测试一种微型(手掌大小)、安静、可充电的个人采样器，该采样器将(1)记录近实时、时间和空间分辨的黑碳(BC)浓度，(2)收集和存档时间和空间分辨的PM样本，供以后的实验室分析，(3)有一个额外的通道用于相关气体或蒸气的化学光学分析，如臭氧，以及(4)记录位置和活动数据。尺寸、动力、成本和安静的设计目标将允许大多数人在不中断正常活动的情况下广泛使用，包括年幼的儿童。BC将通过沉积颗粒的内部超小型光学吸附分析来测量。空间信息将由室外位置的微型全球定位传感器(GPS)和关键室内位置的家庭/工作/汽车放置的小型无线信标提供。该股将存档多个时间和空间分辨的颗粒样本，用于通过质谱学和单粒子技术进行实验室分析，以确定接触颗粒源和各种痕量金属的时空模式。可编程的微型“智能”个人监测系统将具有灵活性，可用于广泛的抽样设计，以评估暴露的空间和时间模式。开发里程碑将包括设计、建造和测试三个逐渐先进的采样器版本。版本1将集成GPS传感器，但将缺乏实时BC功能。版本2将包括采样轮和光学元件，以实现对BC的近乎实时的测量，并将包括开发一个基本单元，该单元将作为电池充电器和无线数据远程传输，允许连续监测长达一个月而无需维护。为了评估受试者的遵从性，在这个阶段还将建造和测试纽扣大小的遵从性/位置传感器。在版本3中，我们将测试在第三个通道上近乎实时地合并臭氧检测的概念。太阳能和/或大型电池供电的基本单元还将设计用于电网接入受限的环境中，例如在发展中国家，或在缺乏电力的固定地点户外使用。实验室和现场实验将在开发过程中迭代进行，以生成传感器算法，通过与传统的PM实时和综合采样方法进行比较，找到改进并估计精度和准确度最终的智能空气污染监测仪将纳入最新现场测试建议的升级。

DESCRIPTION (adapted from application): Assessing spatial and temporal variations in individual exposures to airborne particulate matter components that are representative of key local sources like diesel traffic is critical for advancing our understanding of the health effects of urban air pollution. Current methods of exposure assessment are too cumbersome, noisy and labor-intensive, and do not provide near-real time measurements of key analytes. the investigators propose to develop and test a miniature (palm size), quiet, rechargeable personal sampler that will (1) log in near real-time, time and space-resolved concentrations of black carbon (BC), (2) collect and archive time- and space-resolved PM samples for later laboratory analysis, (3) have one additional channel for use in chemo-optical analysis of a relevant gas or vapor, such as ozone, and (4) log location and activity data. The design goals for size, power, cost and quietness will permit wide use on most individuals, including young children, without disruption of normal activities. BC will be measured via an internal subminiature optical adsorption analysis of deposited particles. Spatial information will be provided by a miniature global position sensor (GPS) for outdoor locations and small home-/work-/car- placed radio beacons for key indoor locations. The unit will archive multiple time- and space-resolved particulate samples, for laboratory analysis via mass spectrometric and single particle techniques, to identify temporal-spatial patterns of exposure to particle sources and to a wide range of trace metals. The programmable miniature "smart" personal monitoring system will have the flexibility to be used in a wide range of sampling designs to assess spatial and temporal patterns of exposure. Development milestones will include designing, building and testing three progressively more advanced versions of the sampler. Version 1 will integrate a GPS sensor, but will lack real-time BC capabilities. Version 2 will incorporate a sampling wheel and optics to allow near real-time measurements of BC and will include development of a base unit that will operate as a battery re-charger and wireless data teleport, permitting continuous monitoring for up to a month without maintenance. To assess subject compliance, a button-size compliance/location sensor will also be built and tested at this stage. In Version 3 we will test the concept of incorporating ozone detection in near real-time on the third channel. Solar powered and/or large-battery-powered base units will also be designed for use in settings where access to the power grid is limited, such as in developing countries or for use at fixed-site outdoor locations lacking power. Laboratory and field experiments will be carried out iteratively during development to generate sensor algorithms, find improvements as well as estimate precision and accuracy via comparison to traditional real-time and integrative sampling methods of PM. The final smart air pollution monitor will incorporate upgrades suggested by the latest field-testing.