Monitoring ambient air particulates, VOC and CO₂ pollutants concentrations, particulates numbers by AQ Guard Ambient sampler

Abstract

The AQ Guard Ambient sampler is the most advanced compact device that collects ambient air pollutants of various particle sizes. This study collected ambient air pollutant particles of various sizes, CO₂ and VOC concentrations and particle numbers from April to May of 2021 using the AQ-guard ambient sampler at Taichung Science Park. The relationships among various particles sizes, CO₂, VOC concentrations and total particle numbers in conjunction with the meteorological conditions are also discussed. Appropriate statistical methods were used to test the mean concentration differences between various particulate sizes, CO₂, VOC and total particle numbers at Taichung Science Park. The results indicated that particle concentrations of various sizes (PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₄, PM₁₀, PM_tot), CO₂, VOC concentrations and particulate numbers at the sample location over the study period were the highest on April 21 and gradually decreased from April 21 to May 23, 2021 at Taichung Science Park. The meteorological conditions; temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were negatively displayed but moderately correlated with the ambient air particulate concentrations, CO₂, VOC and particulate numbers. The relationships between ambient air particles (PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₄, PM₁₀, PM_tot), and CO₂, VOC concentrations displayed moderate correlated relationships. The results further showed that there were mean concentration differences existing for most of the pollutants (particulates, CO₂ and VOC) monitored by the AQ Guard Ambient sampler in this study. The relationships among particles sizes of PM₁ v.s. PM_2.5, PM_2.5 v.s. PM₄, PM₄ v.s. PM₁₀, PM₁₀ v.s. PM_tot were highly correlated with the mean concentrations. However, the results further showed that they also displayed no significant mean concentration differences for PM₁ v.s. PM_2.5, PM_2.5 v.s. PM₄, PM₄ v.s. PM₁₀, PM₁₀ v.s. PM_tot were collected by the AQ Guard sampler at this Taichung Science Park sampling site.

Keywords:

• AQ Guard Ambient
• particles
• CO₂
• VOCs

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Science Council of the ROC (Taiwan) for financially supporting this work under project no. 110-2221-E-241-006.