dnota will supply Spain's National Silicosis Institute with a real-time microAeth® MA350 black carbon monitor and will take care of its calibration, cleaning and preventive maintenance.
AethLabs microAeth® MA350, the unit being supplied
The Asturias Health Service (SESPA) has awarded dnota the supply of a real-time black carbon micro-analyser for the Technical Department of Spain's National Silicosis Institute (INS). The unit is a microAeth® MA350 by AethLabs, a manufacturer represented by dnota.
It is a five-wavelength UV-VIS-IR real-time black carbon monitor with an automatic filter tape advance system offering 85 sampling locations, enabling 3 to 12 months of continuous measurements, depending on the sampling frequency.
In addition to the instrument, dnota will handle its calibration, cleaning and preventive maintenance over the coming years, so that the institute always has reliable data.
A reference centre for respiratory health
The National Silicosis Institute, based in Oviedo and part of SESPA, is a reference centre for occupational respiratory diseases. Its Technical Department studies the pollutants workers are exposed to, work in which accurate measurement is essential.
dnota is proud to work with an organisation with such a track record and to contribute a technology that reveals, second by second, the presence of combustion particles in the air.
Why measure black carbon?
Combustion particles
Black carbon comes from the incomplete combustion of diesel, biomass and other fuels. It is part of fine particulate matter, which can penetrate deep into the respiratory system.
A diesel tracer
It is one of the best tracers of diesel engine exhaust emissions, classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Occupational exposure
European legislation already sets an occupational exposure limit value for diesel engine exhaust emissions. Real-time measurement helps detect peaks and act in time.
Second-by-second data wherever exposure happens.
AethLabs microAeth® technology
dnota represents AethLabs, a San Francisco-based manufacturer specialising in black carbon and personal exposure monitors, and distributes its microAeth® range. See all the brands we represent (in Spanish).microAeth® monitors are compact, self-contained black carbon analysers designed for real-time measurement both in the field and in workplaces. Their main features are:
- Five wavelengths (375, 470, 528, 625 and 880 nm), from ultraviolet to infrared.
- Source identification: the spectral response helps distinguish diesel, wood smoke, biomass and tobacco.
- DualSpot® method for filter loading compensation (a Magee Scientific trademark, used under licence).
- Selectable timebase from 1 to 300 seconds, with a resolution of 0.001 µg/m³.
- Built-in sensors: GPS, accelerometer, barometer, temperature and relative humidity.
- Self-contained: their own pump and flow control, rechargeable battery and 16 GB of internal memory.
Five wavelengths: everything you need
- 375 nmUltraviolet
- 470 nmBlue
- 528 nmGreen
- 625 nmRed
- 880 nmInfrared
No more than five wavelengths are needed to monitor the particles generated by petroleum-derived fuels and by biomass. With them, traffic and wildfire monitoring is fully covered.
The microAeth® range: a monitor for every use
The National Silicosis Institute will use the MA350. The range is completed by two other models for different applications:
microAeth® MA200
Light and portable, designed to be worn to measure individual exposure during campaigns lasting days or weeks.
View product →microAeth® MA300
Four times the battery of the MA200 and 85 filter positions, for months-long campaigns at fixed sites or in vehicles.
View product →microAeth® MA350
With an outdoor enclosure, designed as a network node on lamp posts or industrial perimeters and for long-term campaigns.
View product →| MA200 | MA300 | MA350 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main use | Personal and mobile | Fixed and mobile | Outdoor, networked |
| Weight | 420 g | 715 g | 965 g |
| Battery life per charge* | Up to 14 h | Up to 56 h | Up to 56 h |
| Filter positions | 17 | 85 | 85 |
| Common to all three | 5 wavelengths · DualSpot® · GPS and environmental sensors · 16 GB · timebase from 1 to 300 s | ||
*At a 60 s timebase and 100 ml/min flow rate, according to AethLabs spec sheets. Actual battery life depends on concentration and configuration.
More than an instrument: a complete service
The supply includes calibration, cleaning and preventive maintenance of the MA350. dnota will thus support the National Silicosis Institute throughout the instrument's service life, backed by its technical service, its calibration laboratory and its experience in environmental instrumentation (in Spanish).
Because in occupational health, a good instrument is only useful if its data are reliable today and five years from now.
About dnota
Find out more about how dnota can help monitor the air we breathe on our website www.dnota.com and on our social media channels, where you can see all our products and services.
You can also watch our #videocorporativo (corporate video), showing dnota's vision of how to monitor the air we breathe.
You may also be interested in: dnota, distributor of AethLabs black carbon monitors (in Spanish) · dnota calibration laboratory (in Spanish) · Brands represented by dnota (in Spanish)
Do you need to measure black carbon or exposure to combustion particles?
We can help you choose the microAeth® monitor that best suits your study or workplace.
