Sensor-based air quality monitoring expert Aeroqual has announced a new arrival in its ambient air monitoring product line up – the AQS 1 compact air quality station. The firm’s factory said it is accepting advance orders for delivery in March 2017.
The AQS 1 includes the particle measurement technology from Aeroqual’s AQM 65 and Dust Sentry products (1000s of units sold).
The initial release combines the particle monitor and ozone (O3) sensor-based analyser module from the AQM 65 in a more compact Dust Sentry-sized enclosure. PM2.5 and O3 make a logical combination, says Aeroqual. They are important background pollutants. Air quality agencies in many parts of the world are getting to grips with PM2.5, but for many ozone formation and distribution remains poorly understood.
What is it?
The AQS 1 combines a nephelometer, PM2.5 sharp cut cyclone, and Aeroqual’s 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).
Aeroqual says numerous field tests have shown its 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 Aeroqual’s ambient air monitoring stations the AQS 1 runs Aeroqual Connect, the firm’s proprietary instrument operating system and can be used with Aeroqual Cloud, its cloud-base data acquisition system. Connect and Cloud are said to allow for advanced data analysis and remote technical support.
