NEW TO AIR-MET | Aeroqual AQS1 Compact Air Quality Monitor

Aeroqual AQS1 and gas Air-Met is pleased to announce the newest arrival to the Aeroqual ambient air quality monitoring line up - the AQS1 compact air quality station which will be joining the likes of the Aeroqual AQM65 Ambient Air Monitoring Station and the Aeroqual Dust Sentry Dust Monitor.

What is the AQS1?

The AQS 1 combines a nephelometer, PM2.5 sharp cut cyclone, and Aeroqual’s industry leading GSS (gas sensitive semiconductor) ozone sensor technology. Housed in a rugged, lockable weatherproof enclosure, the monitor is lightweight (less than 13kg) and can be installed and moved with ease.

The AQS 1 can be configured to measure PM2.5 and ozone simultaneously, or PM2.5 only, or ozone only. It can also be configured to measure other particle fractions e.g. TSP, PM10, and PM1. Because it is modular you may order the unit with just PM2.5 for example and add ozone at a later date (without returning to the factory).

Numerous field tests have shown our GSS ozone sensor correlates very closely with US EPA / EU reference equivalent instruments. It has excellent sensitivity (down to 1 part-per-billion) and is not cross sensitive to other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, which is a common issue with other O₃ sensors. The sensor is minimally affected by changes in temperature and humidity. That allows the AQS 1 package to deliver similar Near Reference data quality as the AQM 65 (see field test results below).

The AQS 1 is a fully integrated monitor. It includes an industrial PC which runs an embedded software system for remote technical support, data management and analytics. The PC has storage for more than 5 years of data, and it includes WIFI and Ethernet connectivity as standard features. Data transmission over cellular network is possible with the inclusion of an optional modem.

Like all of Aeroqual’s ambient air monitoring stations the AQS 1 runs Aeroqual Connect, Aeroqual's instrument operating system and can be used with Aeroqual Cloud, a cloud-base data acquisition system. Connect and Cloud allow for advanced data analysis and remote technical support.

Why did Aeroqual make the AQS1 and how is it different to the AQM 65?

A lot of customers have expressed interest in measuring gases alongside particulate matter. The AQM 65 air monitoring station is one option. But some customers don’t need to measure multiple gases (the AQM 65 can measure up to eight) – they just want to measure one or two. The AQS 1 is therefore an instrument for those seeking to answer targeted air quality questions.

For example at a mining site measuring PM10, they might also want to know how much nitrogen dioxide or sulphur dioxide their workers are being exposed to. Or a customer measuring PM2.5 in a wide area network might want to know how ozone levels map across their airshed. A consultant monitoring volatile organic compounds from a remediation site might also want to know how much dust the activity is creating. In time the AQS 1 will be able to provide a solution in all these cases.

There have also been a lot of customers who want to use Aeroqual's amazing GSS ozone sensor for distributed outdoor air quality surveys. Portable ozone monitors have generally been used for this purpose with incredible results, however unlike portable monitors, the AQS 1 is designed for long term fixed monitoring. It is fully weather proof, has in built data and communications, and can be calibrated in the field.

That’s how the need for the AQS 1 arose – customers with specific gas and particulate monitoring needs who don’t need something as big as the AQM 65 air monitoring station.

The key differences between the AQM 65 and the new AQS1 are set out in the below table:

AQM 65	AQS 1
Measures up to six gases and four particulate fractions simultaneously Fully temperature controlled enclosure, rated for -35°C to +50°C Integrated remote field calibration system optional	Measures one gas and one particulate fraction simultaneously No temperature control – rated for -10°C to +45°C Can be field calibrated by portable calibration equipment

How does the AQS 1 Perform?
In field tests the main thing the Aeroqual team wanted to check was the effect of temperature on the ozone sensor. Having run thousands of Dust Sentries in the field, the team at Aeroqual already knew that the particle monitor technology performed well in a non-temperature controlled environment. The team had some field experience with the Aeroqual range of portable ozone monitors and lab tests show that the ozone sensor is stable in various temperature conditions, but the team wanted to check temperature and/or humidity effects in real world conditions.

Field tests were run over several months in China and the US during high summer. The results are covered in the following reports – China and USA.

Focusing on the China test results, data capture rates were above 96%. The results show excellent correlation with independently run EPA-approved reference methods. The 1-hour average O₃ concentrations measured by the AQS 1 showed excellent correlation with the reference O₃ analyzer with an r² = 0.97. The 24-hour average PM2.5 concentrations measured by the AQS 1 also showed a good correlation to the reference PM2.5 instrument with an r² = 0.78.

The AQS 1 was exposed to ambient temperatures that ranged from 18.8 to 34.1 °C and relative humidity that ranged from 31.3 to 100 %. During this period, the internal temperature of the AQS 1 was approximately 12°C higher than ambient which was expected and well within design parameters. No significant temperature or relative humidity interference effects were observed on either the AQS 1 O₃or PM2.5 measurements.

Interested in the AQS 1 Compact Air Quality Station?

Want to find out when the AQS 1 becomes available in Australia? Register your interest below and we will ensure that you are the first to know!

For more information, contact your local Air-Met Scientific office today.

Date and Time

Mon. 07 Aug 2017

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NEW TO AIR-MET | Aeroqual AQS1 Compact Air Quality Monitor

NEW TO AIR-MET | Aeroqual AQS1 Compact Air Quality Monitor

What is the AQS1?

Why did Aeroqual make the AQS1 and how is it different to the AQM 65?

Date and Time

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