Abstract

In this study, a correction was developed for the aethalometer to measure real-time black carbon (BC) concentrations in an environment dominated by fresh diesel soot. The relationship between the actual mass-specific absorption coefficient for BC and the BC-dependent attenuation coefficients was determined from experiments conducted in a diesel exposure chamber that provided constant concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM; PM2.5; PM <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) from diesel exhaust. The aethalometer reported BC concentrations decreasing with time from 48.1 to 31.5 μg m-3 when exposed to constant PM2.5 concentrations of 55 ±1 μg m-3 and bscat = 95 ± 3 Mm-1 from diesel exhaust. This apparent decrease in reported light-absorbing PM concentration was used to derive a correction K(ATN) for loading of strong light-absorbing particles onto or into the aethalometer filter tape, which was a function of attenuation of light at 880 nm by the embedded particles. Copyright 2007 Air & Waste Management Association.