Plasma Electrochemical Sensor for Airborne Particulates

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Allergic reaction to airborne pollen affect about 15% of the population of industrialised countries. Real-time detection and identification of airborne particles combined with antigen specific medication, can help improve the quality of life for many hay fever sufferers. Current methods for measuring airborne particles are based on the archaic capture and count technique which is expensive and laborious, and normally give an average over 24 hours. In this proposal a new approach to measuring particles such as pollen, or aerosol in the atmosphere is described. The method relies on the breakdown of the particles in a flame to produce a large number of smaller fragments in a flame. These smaller particles are often charged and can then be measured using electrochemical means. The advantage of this method is the amplification through the fragmentation process. The distribution of these fragments in the flame will provide a unique pattern depending on the particle's material, density and composition. With this technique it will be possible to have a continuous measure of the number density of particulates in the atmosphere and identify of the particulates by potentiometric tomography.