Smart Miniaturized personal monitors for black carbon and multiple air pollutants

描述（改编自应用程序）： 评估个人暴露于空气中颗粒物组分的空间和时间变化，这些颗粒物组分代表了柴油交通等主要本地来源，对于促进我们对城市空气污染健康影响的理解至关重要。目前的暴露评估方法过于繁琐，噪音和劳动密集型，并且不能提供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的（手掌大小）、安静、可再充电的个人采样器，其将（1）记录黑碳（BC）的近实时、时间和空间分辨的浓度，（2）收集和存档时间和空间分辨的PM样品用于以后的实验室分析，（3）具有一个附加通道用于相关气体或蒸汽（例如臭氧）的化学光学分析，以及（4）日志位置和活动数据。尺寸、功率、成本和安静的设计目标将允许大多数人广泛使用，包括幼儿，而不会中断正常活动。BC将通过沉积颗粒的内部超小型光学吸附分析来测量。空间信息将由一个微型全球定位传感器（GPS）提供，用于室外位置，由小型家庭/工作/汽车无线电信标提供，用于室内关键位置。该单位将对多个时间和空间分辨的微粒样本进行存档，以便通过质谱和单微粒技术进行实验室分析，以确定接触微粒源和各种微量金属的时空模式。可编程微型“智能”个人监测系统将具有灵活性，可用于各种各样的取样设计，以评估接触的空间和时间模式。开发里程碑将包括设计、制造和测试三个逐步升级的采样器版本。版本1将集成GPS传感器，但缺乏实时BC功能。第2版将包括一个采样轮和光学器件，以允许接近实时的BC测量，并将包括一个基本单元的开发，该单元将作为电池充电器和无线数据传输，允许连续监测长达一个月而无需维护。为了评估受试者依从性，还将在此阶段构建并测试按钮大小的依从性/位置传感器。在第3版中，我们将测试在第三通道上近实时地结合臭氧检测的概念。太阳能和/或大型电池供电的基本单元也将设计用于电网接入有限的环境，如发展中国家或用于缺乏电力的固定地点户外地点。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，找到改进以及估计精度和准确度。最终的智能空气污染监测器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.