Ultrafine Particles and Size Distribution
Ultrafine particles (UFPs), smaller than 100 nanometers, are increasingly recognized for their deep lung penetration. Monitoring UFPs provides critical insight into not only health effects or pollution, but also support specific application areas such as automotive engine testing and cleanroom operations.
The WHO Air Quality Guidelines 2021 note that UFPs can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, potentially affecting the heart, brain, and other organs. WHO recommends monitoring UFP number concentrations where possible and treating them as a complementary metric to PM₂.₅ and black carbon to better understand sources and exposure risks.
The European Union's revised Air Quality Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/2881) now mandates the monitoring of UFPs for the first time, requiring member states to measure particle number concentrations and particle size distribution at selected sites. The goal is to collect consistent data and strengthen the evidence base for future standards, aligning with WHO’s scientific guidance.
Airmodus A20 CPC
Airmodus Condensation Particle Counters (CPC) are designed to count individual aerosol particles accurately from very low to high concentrations. They are ideal for ambient air monitoring as well as aerosol research and regulative measurments.
The A20 is a robust and reliable tool for aerosol particle measurements in all applications where precision and sensitivity is of the essence. It is a user-friendly tool for counting aerosol particles larger than 10 nm (by request A20 can be delivered with a cut-off between 3 – 23 nm).
It meets all the requirements specified by ACTRIS and CEN, ensuring full compliance. The A20-CEN is part of ACTRIS whitelist and has been extensively tested and proven valuable in atmospheric research over the years.
Airmodus A30 CPC
Airmodus A30 Condensation Particle Counter is the latest addition to the Airmodus particle counter lineup. A compact instrument that can fulfil your ultrafine particle counting needs ranging from EN 16976 (formerly CEN/TS 16976) compliant ambient aerosol measurements to different laboratory studies. With a small footprint and low weight, it is very suitable for different integrated systems and Airmodus supports this with fully open and flexible connectivity. Laminar flow design using butanol or propylene glycol as working fluid for most consistent detection of different particle types.
The A30 is a compact instrument, with a user-friendly design that can detect all aerosol particles larger than 10 nm (by request A30 can be delivered with a cut-off between 5 – 23 nm).
The A30 is also compatible with the Airmodus Particle Size Magnifier PSM 2.0. Use the PSM 2.0 when you want to study particles as small as 1 nm!
A12 nCNC (PSM 2.0 + CPC)
Airmodus A12 Nano Condensation Nucleus Counter system (nCNC) measures particles as small as 1 nm in diameter. It is a complete system consisting of a particle size magnifier (PSM 2.0), a condensation particle counter (A30 CPC) and operation software.
Airmodus A12 can be used to measure the total number concentration of sub-micron particles, or to learn about characteristics and dynamics of the 1-12 nm particles in real time.
Key Benefits:
• Count particles as small as 1 nm in real time
• Detect also the electrically neutral particles
• Detect nucleation in-situ as it happens
• Classify 1 – 12 nm particles into 1 – 14 bins
• Sensitive range 0 – 500 000 #/cc