Measuring Particulate Matter with Greater Precision: BlueTech Award Winner 2016

Nano-particle measurement specialists Pegasor Co. Ltd., from Finland, have developed an innovative technology that detects particulate matter by measuring the electrical charge carried by particles.

The electrical current emanating from sensors with charged particles gives a real-time reading of concentrations of particulate matter in air, for example from tailpipe emissions.

Flow chart of the measuring process

The technology can detect particles between 10nm and 2.5μm and can also measure high concentrations of particulate matter. It is also capable of monitoring the surface area of a particle in real-time and expressing the result either as mass concentration and/or as number concentration.

Pegasor’s sensor technology has been installed in public buildings (offices, schools, airports, hospitals, etc.) as well as test labs, monitoring stations and engine emission monitoring stations. It is best known for having revealing the car emissions scandal in 2015.