Evaluating performance of real-time monitors for quantifying elemental carbon in diesel particulate matter

Diesel particulate matter (DPM) has been shown to contribute to various adverse health effects among underground miners. To reduce worker exposures, it is critical to measure the airborne concentrations of DPM with high temporal resolution in the active work settings. The current regulatory method for quantifying DPM entails analyzing an air filter sample obtained over the course of several hours or typically a whole shift. The use of a portable belt-wearable DPM monitor with near real-time temporal resolution, on the order of one minute, would provide information which could aid in reducing hazardous DPM exposures. Previously the Airtec Diesel Particulate Monitor device was available for just such a purpose, but this product has been discontinued. This study included a series of experiments intended to evaluate the performance of a potential replacement for the Airtec Diesel Particulate Monitor for the estimation of elemental carbon (EC) in DPM. It was shown that the microAeth® MA350 and MA200 black carbon (BC) monitors from AethLabs are at least as effective as the discontinued Airtec Diesel Particulate Monitor for monitoring EC in DPM.