Exploring novel techniques for measuring and identifying minuscule dust particles in the atmosphere

Abstract

Dust microparticles are known to be bad for public health, we need automated and mobile devices that can quickly and accurately measure the chemical and dispersed makeup of solid pollution components. These devices should replace time-consuming sampling methods and separate methods for figuring out dust’s chemical and fractional makeup. The study aimed to develop and test new methodological, software, and instrumental approaches to monitoring particulate matter in the atmospheric air. A hardware-software complex is proposed that implements a two-stage scheme for recognising solid particles selected from atmospheric air according to the “from coarse to fine” principle. The laser diffraction method determines the total concentration of solid particles at the first stage. We use a miniature iMicro Q2 microscope with 800x magnification to obtain microphotographs of dust. The method shows vast possibilities for quickly establishing the composition and structure of dust, forming profiles of dust pollution, and assessing the contribution of the source to the formation of pollution. The obtained results enhance the correctness and accuracy of assessing health risks associated with dust exposure in atmospheric air.