Engine exhaust particulate monitors have been around for many years now and they are widely used throughout the mining industry, transport sectors, in automotive workshops globally, by vehicle and truck manufacturers and many others. Some of these test systems are fixed in workshops while others are portable or transportable devices used for testing petrol and or diesel engines for compliance to local and or international standards.

Some of these original devices were and STILL are based around optical particle counters or photometer based technologies. Some instruments even incorporate portable dust monitors in an enclosure with thermal conditioning and dilution. One of the limitations of many of these devices is their ability to measure carcenogenic and potentially deadly ultrafine particulates less than 100nm (0.1um) in size which are present in vehicle exhaust.

This is where NEW technology has evolved over time which is capable of properly measuring diesel and petrol exhaust particulates directly from engines from as low as 10nm to 1um. For the first time, customers can measure vehicle particulates across this wide range which incorporates the measurement of ultrafine particulates. These systems are capable of testing vehicles for compliance to a variety of global standards, they are fully portable and there is little to no maintenance.

Our staff at Alpha Scientific have decades of experience with particle instruments and were involved in the development of and supply of some of the first real real-time engine exhaust particulate monitoring instruments sold in Australasia. Today, we work with a number of world leading global instrument manufacturers providing cutting edge measurement instruments to meet various international test standards.

Engine Exhaust Particulate Monitoring

Exposure to diesel particulates can have various health effects, particularly on the respiratory system. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is made up of tiny particles that are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, where they can cause inflammation and damage to lung tissue. Some of the health effects associated with exposure to diesel particulates include:

Cancer

Long-term exposure to diesel particulates has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and other types of cancer, such as bladder cancer.

Neurological effects

There is also evidence to suggest that exposure to diesel particulates may have negative impacts on the nervous system, including effects on cognitive function and behavior.

Exposure to diesel particulates is a serious public health concern, particularly for those who work in occupations where exposure is more likely, such as truck drivers, construction workers, and miners.

Measures to reduce exposure to diesel particulates, such as using cleaner fuels and engines, implementing emission controls, and improving ventilation, can help protect workers and improve public health. Engine exhaust particulate monitoring can prove highly beneficial in identifying emission sources and hot spots, not to mention worker exposure over time.