Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor

The Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) measures mass loading and chemical composition of non-refractory aerosol particles in real-time. Smaller, lower cost, more robust, and simpler to operate than our AMS instruments, the ACSM is designed for long-term unattended deployment and routine monitoring applications. About 200 instruments are sold.

The ACSM is available with either a quadrupole or time-of-flight mass spectrometer and can be configured for either PM1 or PM2.5. A TOF-ACSM-X model is also available.

ACSM Applications

• Ambient monitoring of NO₃, SO₄, NH₄, Cl and Organic mass loadings with time resolution up to 1 minute.
• Chamber studies of aerosol formation and processing.
• Industrial process monitoring.

ACSM Advantages

• Quantitative, universal detection with thermal vaporization and electron impact ionization mass spectrometry.
• Long-term (months) unattended operation with minimal maintenance.
• Remote control ready.
• Mass spectrometric characterization enables advanced analysis of organic compound classes through numerical tools such as Positive Matrix Factorization.

ACSM Development Projects

Integrated Calibration and Quality Assurance Capability
In order to increase the level of autonomy of the ACSM instrument, we are refining a simple, robust, low-cost calibration system for the ACSM and developing an enhanced software package to provide higher accuracy data in real-time.

Selected Publications

ACTRIS ACSM intercomparison-Part 1: Reproducibility of concentration and fragment results from 13 individual Quadrupole Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitors (Q-ACSM) and consistency with co-located instruments, Crenn, V., et al, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 5063-5087, doi:10.5194/amt-8-5063-2015, (2015).
Laboratory characterization of an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor with PM2.5 measurement capability, Xu, W., et al. Aerosol Sci. Tech., 51(1), 69-83, doi: 10.1080/02786826.02782016.01241859, (2016).
The ToF-ACSM: a portable aerosol chemical speciation monitor with TOFMS detection, Fröhlich, R., et al., Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6(11), 3225-3241, doi:10.5194/amt-6-3225-213, (2013).

Real-Time Continuous Characterization of Secondary Organic Aerosol Derived from Isoprene Epoxydiols in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, Using the Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor, S. H. Budisulistiorini, M. R. Canagaratna, P. L. Croteau, W. J. Marth, K. Baumann, E. S. Edgerton, S. L. Shaw, E. M. Knipping, D. R. Worsnop, J. T. Jayne, A. Gold, J. D. Surratt, Environ. Sci. Technol.,  47, 5686−5694, DOI: 10.1021/es400023n, 2013 .

Characterization of summer organic and inorganic aerosols in Beijing, China with an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor, Y. Sun, Z. Wang, H. Dong, T. Yang, J. Li, X. Pan, P. Chen, J. T. Jayne, Atmos. Environ., 51, 250-259, 2012.

An Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) for Routine Monitoring of the Composition and Mass Concentrations of Ambient Aerosol, N. L. Ng, S. C. Herndon, A. Trimborn, M. R. Canagaratna, P. L. Croteau, T. B. Onasch, D. Sueper, D. R. Worsnop, Q. Zhang, Y. L. Sun and J. T. Jayne, , Aerosol Sci. Tech., 45, 770-784, DOI: 10.1080/02786826.2011.560211, 2011.