Aerosol is a dispersed system composed of solid or liquid particles suspended in a gas medium. Heavy metals adsorbed in aerosols can cause serious damage to the human respiratory system, causing serious pollution to the environment and also having a great impact on human health. threaten.

At present, the detection of heavy metals in atmospheric aerosols in my country mainly uses offline detection methods with laboratory instruments. However, such laboratory detection methods are limited by time and space and cannot accurately reflect the pollution status of heavy metals in aerosols in real time, and there are many on-site sampling tests. It is a single point sampling and cannot reflect the overall changing trend of heavy metal concentration. Therefore, the industry urgently needs to develop new atmospheric aerosol online detection technology with high accuracy, good stability, continuous monitoring capabilities, good operating conditions, and strong adaptability. It is also suitable for multi-metal aerosol online monitoring systems and instruments. Has good market prospects.

In September 2020, Etran Technology reached a cooperation with the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Testing and Analysis (Guangzhou Analysis and Testing Center, China) to launch in-depth cooperation on the technical project of "Aerosol Multi-Metal Online Monitoring Technology". Joining hands with researcher Guo Pengran, director of the New Technology Laboratory of the Institute of Testing and Analysis of the Guangdong Academy of Sciences (China Guangzhou Analysis and Testing Center), director of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Measurement and Emergency Monitoring Technology, and director of the Guangdong Provincial Water Environmental Pollution Online Monitoring Engineering Technology Research Center, Formulate a research plan and technical route on the distribution characteristics of heavy metals in atmospheric aerosols and their aerodynamic characteristics, and use the principle that aerosols easily absorb moisture and grow up under saturated vapor pressure to develop air introduction units, aerosol growth chambers, and aerosol collection devices , flow control system and other key components of the steam injection aerosol capture device, the online acquisition control software execution process was developed, and the online detection method of heavy metals based on microwave plasma emission spectrometry was optimized based on the sensitivity and interference characteristics of the element detection spectral lines.

Relying on this cooperation, Director Guo Pengran cooperated with Etran Instruments to apply for 2 patents, obtain 1 authorized invention patent, and develop 1 set of small devices.

After more than a year of hard work, the aerosol collection device module and the microwave plasma spectrum detection module have been realized to operate synchronously to meet the needs of rapid and effective separation of gaseous components and aerosol particulate components as well as online monitoring of heavy metal concentrations, forming an aerosol collection system. On-site automated detection and dynamic monitoring technology of various heavy metals in sol. This technology provides technical support for networked monitoring of heavy metal pollution in atmospheric particulate matter and refined management of atmospheric environmental protection.

Researcher Guo Pengran (first from right) is conducting technical guidance work

Researcher Guo Pengran (first from right) communicates with company leaders

Technological innovation must focus on national demand targets and target the bull's-eye of application needs in order to promote the application of scientific and technological innovation results. This project innovatively applies microwave plasma emission spectrometry to the field of online monitoring of heavy metals in atmospheric aerosols. This technology has the characteristics of high accuracy, good stability, wide measurement range, low operation and maintenance costs, and the ability to measure multiple elements simultaneously. It solves the current research and development problems of aerosol heavy metal online monitoring technology for enterprises, and promotes the innovative development of the development and application of environmental quality monitoring instruments for enterprises.