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 Technology & Development Center |
Real-Time
Smoke
Particulate Sampling
Fire Storm 2000
A total of 15 filter samples were taken by the FRM while the Andersen aethalometer was operating. Figure 19 compares the aethalometer results to the FRM. The 880-nm channel of the aethalometer had a slope of y = 0.027x + 0.111 with a correlation coefficient of 0.98. The 370-nm channel had a slope of y = 0.051x + 0.349 with a correlation coefficient of 0.97.
Figure 19—Regression results of the Andersen RTAA 900
aethalometer and the BGI federal reference method
sampler at Missoula, MT.
According to the manufacturer, the 880- nm channel represents the black or elemental carbon percentage of the total mass of the wood smoke. So, for these wildfires, black carbon accounted for about 2.7 percent of the total mass of smoke. The manufacturer noted that in urban areas where automobile traffic affects air quality, the BC is typically 10 percent of the total mass. The UV or "aromatic" channel showed concentrations 1.93 times higher than the BC channel, implying that organics are about 5 percent of the total smoke mass. The consistent relationship (correlation coefficient of 0.98) between the UV channel response and the BC channel response (figure 20) suggests that the relationship between black carbon and aromatic organic carbon was consistent in this wood smoke.
Figure 20—Comparison of the BC (black carbon) and UV
(ultraviolet) channel results from the Andersen aethalometer.
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