Dataset associated with "Effects of Aerosol Type and Simulated Aging on Performance of Low-Cost PM Sensors"

Jessica Tryner (1,2), John Mehaffy (1), Daniel Miller-Lionberg (2), John Volckens (1)*
 
1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, 1374 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
2. Access Sensor Technologies, 2401 Research Blvd, Suite 107, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526

*Please contact John Volckens (john.volckens@colostate.edu) regarding this dataset.

See the manuscript for details on data collection, quality control, and analysis.
Tryner, J., Mehaffy, J., Miller-Lionberg, D., & Volckens, J. (2020). Effects of aerosol type and simulated aging on performance of low-cost PM sensors. Journal of Aerosol Science, 150, 105654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2020.105654

The first file in this dataset, "01_sensor_mass_concentrations.csv", includes time-averaged particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations reported by low-cost sensors during each steady-state (a) aerosol/mass concentration point measured during Experiment 1, (b) realtive humidity level measured during Experiment 2, (3) polystyrene latex sphere concentration measured during Experiment 3, and (d) NIST Urban PM concentration measured during Experiment 4. All mass concentrations are in units of micrograms per cubic meter. These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-07-02 and 2019-10-06. 

The "01_sensor_mass_concentrations.csv" data file includes the following columns (the first ten of which identify the steady-state test point):

1.  start_date - the date on which the test started,
2.  start - the time at which the steady-state test point started (UTC), 
3.  end - the time at which the steady-state test point ended (UTC), 
4.  aerosol - the aerosol used during the test (one of the following: Urban PM, Ammonium sulfate, Arizona road dust, Wood smoke, Oil, PSL), 
5.  point - an identifier for the test point, 
6.  evaluation - an identifier for the NIST Urban PM evaluation conducted during Experiment 4 (1-7 for test points associated with Experiment 4; NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 4), 
7.  psl_size - the diameter of the polystyrene latex spheres measured during the test point (micrometers) (NA for test points not associated with Experiment 3), 
8.  rh - the time-averaged relative humidity measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (%) (NA for test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
9.  temperature - the time-averaged temperature measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (Celsius) (NA for test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
10. teom - the time-averaged PM2.5 concentration measured using the TEOM (micrograms per cubic meter), 
11. sensor - the low-cost PM sensor (one of the following: Plantower, Sensirion, Amphenol), 
12. unit - an identifier for the sensor replicate (A-H for Plantower, A-H for Sensirion, A-G for Amphenol), 
13. size_fraction - the PM size fraction reported by the sensor (one of the following: PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4.0, PM10), 
14. correction - the correction factor associated with the PM mass concentration (CF=1 or ATM if sensor = Plantower, NA if sensor = Sensirion, and STD or ENV if sensor = Amphenol), 
15. ug_m3 - the time-averaged PM concentration reported by the sensor for the given size fraction and correction factor (micrograms per cubic meter). 

The second file in this dataset, "02_sensor_number_concentrations.csv", includes time-averaged particle number concentrations reported by low-cost sensors during each steady-state (a) aerosol/mass concentration point measured during Experiment 1, (b) realtive humidity level measured during Experiment 2, (3) polystyrene latex sphere concentration measured during Experiment 3, and (d) NIST Urban PM concentration measured during Experiment 4. All number concentrations are in units of particles per cubic centimeter. These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-07-02 and 2019-10-06. 

The "02_sensor_number_concentrations.csv" data file includes the following columns (the first ten of which identify the steady-state test point):

1.  start_date - the date on which the test started,
2.  start - the time at which the steady-state test point started (UTC), 
3.  end - the time at which the steady-state test point ended (UTC), 
4.  aerosol - the aerosol used during the test (one of the following: Urban PM, Ammonium sulfate, Arizona road dust, Wood smoke, Oil, PSL), 
5.  point - an identifier for the test point, 
6.  evaluation - an identifier for the NIST Urban PM evaluation conducted during Experiment 4 (1-7 for test points associated with Experiment 4; NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 4), 
7.  psl_size - the diameter of the polystyrene latex spheres measured during the test point (micrometers) (NA for test points not associated with Experiment 3), 
8.  rh - the time-averaged relative humidity measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (%) (NA for test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
9.  temperature - the time-averaged temperature measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (Celsius) (NA for test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
10. teom - the time-averaged PM2.5 concentration measured using the TEOM (micrograms per cubic meter), 
11. sensor - the low-cost PM sensor (one of the following: Plantower, Sensirion, Amphenol), 
12. unit - an identifier for the sensor replicate (A-H for Plantower, A-H for Sensirion, A-G for Amphenol), 
13. lower_limit - the smallest particle size reported in the given size bin (micrometers), 
14. upper_limit - the largst particle size reported in the given size bin (micrometers), 
15. dN - the time-averaged particle number concentration reported in the given size bin (particles per cubic centimeter) (see Table 1 in the manuscript and associated text for details on how these concentrations were calculated).

The third file in this dataset, "03_SMPS.csv", includes time-averaged particle size distribution data measured using an Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) (Model 3082 Electrostatic Classifier and Model 2787 Condensation Particle Counter, TSI Incorporated, Shoreview, MN, USA) during each steady-state (a) aerosol/mass concentration point measured during Experiment 1, (b) realtive humidity level measured during Experiment 2, and (3) polystyrene latex sphere concentration measured during Experiment 3. These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-07-02 and 2019-09-11.  

The "03_SMPS.csv" data file includes the following columns (the first ten of which identify the steady-state test point):

1.  start_date - the date on which the test started,
2.  start - the time at which the steady-state test point started (UTC), 
3.  end - the time at which the steady-state test point ended (UTC), 
4.  aerosol - the aerosol used during the test (one of the following: Urban PM, Ammonium sulfate, Arizona road dust, Wood smoke, Oil, PSL), 
5.  point - an identifier for the test point, 
6.  evaluation - an identifier for the NIST Urban PM evaluation conducted during the aging experiment (1-7 for test points associated with Experiment 4; NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 4), 
7.  psl_size - the diameter of the polystyrene latex spheres measured during the test point (micrometers) (NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 3), 
8.  rh - the relative humidity measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (%) (NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
9.  temperature - the temperature measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (Celsius) (NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
10. teom - the PM2.5 concentration measured using the TEOM (micrograms per cubic meter), 
11. dia_smps - the particle electrical mobility diameter (micrometers) (these correspond to the diameters in the SMPS log files),
12. diameter - the volume equivalent diameter (micrometers) (see Supporting Information S1.3 for details on how these diameters were calculated), 
13. lower_limit - the lower limit of the particle size bin (micrometers) (calculated from the bin diameter and the number of channels per decade), 
14. upper_limit - the upper limit of the particle size bin (micrometers) (calculated from the bin diameter and the number of channels per decade), 
15. dN - the number concentration of particles in the size bin (number per cubic centimeter), 
16. dN_dlogDp - the number concentration of particles normalized by the bin width (number per cubic centimeter) (see TSI Application Note PR-001),
17. dM - the mass concentration of particles in the size bin (micrograms per cubic meter), 
18. dM_dlogDp - the mass concentration of particles normalized by the bin width (micrograms per cubic meter) (see TSI Application Note PR-001).  

The fourth file in this dataset, "04_APS.csv", includes time-averaged particle size distribution data measured using an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Spectrometer (3321, TSI Incorporated, Shoreview, MN, USA) during each steady-state (a) aerosol/mass concentration point measured during Experiment 1, (b) realtive humidity level measured during Experiment 2, and (3) polystyrene latex sphere concentration measured during Experiment 3. These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-07-02 and 2019-09-11.  

The "04_APS.csv" data file includes the following columns (the first ten of which identify the steady-state test point):

1.  start_date - the date on which the test started,
2.  start - the time at which the steady-state test point started (UTC), 
3.  end - the time at which the steady-state test point ended (UTC), 
4.  aerosol - the aerosol used during the test (one of the following: Urban PM, Ammonium sulfate, Arizona road dust, Wood smoke, Oil, PSL), 
5.  point - an identifier for the test point, 
6.  evaluation - an identifier for the NIST Urban PM evaluation conducted during the aging experiment (1-7 for test points associated with Experiment 4; NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 4), 
7.  psl_size - the diameter of the polystyrene latex spheres measured during the test point (micrometers) (NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 3), 
8.  rh - the relative humidity measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (%) (NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
9.  temperature - the temperature measured in the laboratory chamber during the test point (Celsius) (NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 2), 
10. teom - the PM2.5 concentration measured using the TEOM (micrograms per cubic meter), 
11. density - the particle density assumed for the aerosol (grams per cubic centimeter), 
12. dia_aps - the particle aerodynamic diameter (micrometers) (these correspond to the diameters in the APS log files), 
13. diameter - the volume equivalent diameter (micrometers) (see Supporting Information S1.3 for details on how these diameters were calculated), 
14. lower_limit - the lower limit of the particle size bin (micrometers) (calculated from the aerodynamic diameter and the number of channels per decade, then converted to volume equivalent diameter), 
15. upper_limit - the upper limit of the particle size bin (micrometers) (calculated from the aerodynamic diameter and the number of channels per decade, then converted to volume equivalent diameter), 
16. dN - the number concentration of particles in the size bin (number per cubic centimeter), 
17. dN_dlogDp - the number concentration of particles normalized by the bin width calculated from the aerodynamic diameters (number per cubic centimeter) (see TSI Application Note PR-001), 
18. dM - the mass concentration of particles in the size bin (micrograms per cubic meter) (calculated assuming spherical particles with the listed density and the volume equivalent diameter), 
19. dM_dlogDp - the mass concentration of particles normalized by the bin width calculated from the aerodynamic diameters (micrograms per cubic meter) (see TSI Application Note PR-001).  

The fifth file in this dataset, "05_APS_aging.csv", includes real-time particle size distribution data for Arizona road dust aerosolized using a fluidized bed aerosol generator. The particle size distribution was measured using an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Spectrometer (3321, TSI Incorporated, Shoreview, MN, USA). These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University on 2019-10-06.  

The "05_APS_aging.csv" data file includes the following columns:

1.  datetime - the time (UTC),
2.  aerosol - the aerosol being measured (Arizona road dust), 
3.  density - the particle density (2.65 grams per cubic centimeter), 
4.  dia_aps - the particle aerodynamic diameter (micrometers) (these correspond to the diameters in the APS log files), 
5.  diameter - the volume equivalent diameter (micrometers) (see Supporting Information S1.3 for details on how these diameters were calculated), 
6.  lower_limit - the lower limit of the particle size bin (micrometers) (calculated from the aerodynamic diameter and the number of channels per decade, then converted to volume equivalent diameter), 
7.  upper_limit - the upper limit of the particle size bin (micrometers) (calculated from the aerodynamic diameter and the number of channels per decade, then converted to volume equivalent diameter), 
8.  dN - the number concentration of particles in the size bin (number per cubic centimeter), 
9.  dN_dlogDp - the number concentration of particles normalized by the bin width calculated from the aerodynamic diameters (number per cubic centimeter) (see TSI Application Note PR-001), 
10. dM - the mass concentration of particles in the size bin (micrograms per cubic meter) (calculated assuming spherical particles with the listed density and the volume equivalent diameter), 
11. dM_dlogDp - the mass concentration of particles normalized by the bin width calculated from the aerodynamic diameters (micrograms per cubic meter) (see TSI Application Note PR-001). 

The sixth file in this dataset, "06_TEOM.csv", includes particulate matter concentrations recorded at one-minute intervals by a Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (1405 TEOM, ThermoFisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) during laboratory experiments conducted with low-cost particulate matter sensors. These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-07-02 and 2019-10-06.

The "06_TEOM.csv" data file includes the following columns: 

1. datetime - the time (UTC),
2. tmoTEOMAMC_0 - mass concentration (micrograms per cubic meter),
3. tmoTEOMAFilterLoad_0 - filter loading as a fraction of maximum (%),
4. tmoTEOMAFrequency_0 - oscillating frequency of the tapered element in the mass transducer (Hz),
5. tmoOperatingMode_0 - TEOM operating mode at time of data capture (1 = stabilizing, 2 = collecting data, 3 = computing data, 4 = fully operational),
6. tmoStatusCondition_0 - system status (0 if no warnings are present).

The seventh file in this dataset, "07_DustTrak_aging.csv", includes Arizona road dust concentrations recorded at one-minute intervals by a DustTrak (DustTrak DRX Aerosol Monitor 8533, TSI Incorporated, Shoreview, MN, USA) during a simulated aging experiment ("Experiment 4" in the manuscript). These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-10-02 and 2019-10-06.  No size-selective inlet was installed on the DustTrak.   

The "07_DustTrak_aging.csv" data file includes the following columns: 

1.  datetime - the time (UTC),
2.  pm1 - the PM1 concentration reported by the DustTrak (micrograms per cubic meter), 
3.  pm2_5 - the PM2.5 concentration reported by the DustTrak (micrograms per cubic meter), 
4.  pm4 - the PM4 concentration reported by the DustTrak (micrograms per cubic meter), 
5.  pm10 - the PM10 concentration reported by the DustTrak (micrograms per cubic meter), 
6.  total - the total PM concentration reported by the DustTrak (micrograms per cubic meter), 
7.  alarms - an indicator for the instrument alarm status (NA), 
8.  errors - an indicator for error conditions detected by the instrument (either NA or "Filter Error"; the latter indicated that the DustTrak internal filters were due for replacement), 
9.  pm2_5_corr - the PM2.5 concentration after correction to PM2.5 filter samples (micrograms per cubic meter),  
10. pm_total_corr - the total PM concentration after correction to a filter sample collected using a open-faced cartridge (micrograms per cubic meter),
11. exposure - an identifier for the three-hour period during which the low-cost sensors were exposed to Arizona road dust aerosol (1-6). 

The eighth file in this dataset, "08_filter.csv", includes data associated with gravimetric samples collected during laboratory experiments conducted with low-cost particulate matter sensors. These data were collected in a laboratory aerosol chamber at Colorado State University between 2019-07-02 and 2019-10-06.  Particulate matter was sampled onto 47-mm diameter PTFE filters at a sample flow rate of 16.7 liters per minute. Filters were pre- and post-weighed on an electronic balance with 1 microgram resolution.   

The "08_filter.csv" data file includes the following columns: 

1.  start_date - the date on which the test started,
2.  aerosol - the aerosol sampled onto the filter (one of the following: Urban PM, Ammonium sulfate, Arizona road dust, Wood smoke, Oil, PSL), 
3.  evaluation - an identifier for the NIST Urban PM evaluation conducted during the aging experiment (1-7 for test points associated with Experiment 4; NA for all test points not associated with Experiment 4), 
4.  cutpoint - the cutpoint of the size-selective inlet used on the inlet of the filter sample (micrometers) (either 2.5 or NA), 
5.  filter_id - an identifier for the filter, 
6.  start - the time at which the filter sample started (UTC), 
7.  end - the time at which the filter sample ended (UTC), 
8.  flow_start_lpm - the flow rate through the filter at the start of the sample (liters per minute), 
9.  flow_end_lpm - the flow rate through the filter at the end of the sample (liters per minute), 
10. mass_pre_ug - the mass of the filter prior to the sample (micrograms), 
11. mass_post_ug - the mass of the filter after the sample (micrograms), 
12. filter_conc - the particulate matter concentration derived from the filter sample (micrograms per cubic meter). 

This dataset also includes three .zip files:

low_cost_sensors_aging.zip - Data logged from Plantower PMS5003, Sensirion SPS30, and Amphenol SM-UART-04L sensors during a simulated aging experiment ("Experiment 4" in the manuscript) (12 .txt data files and one README.txt file).
low_cost_sensors.zip - Raw data logged from Plantower PMS5003, Sensirion SPS30, and Amphenol SM-UART-04L sensors using a MegunoLink interface (33 .txt data files and one README.txt file).
DustTrak.zip - Raw data logged from DustTrak DRX 8533 (15 .csv data files and one README.txt file).

Recommended citation: Tryner, J., Mehaffy, J., Miller-Lionberg, D., Volckens, J. (2020). Dataset associated with "Effects of Aerosol Type and Simulated Aging on Performance of Low-Cost PM Sensors." Colorado State University. Libraries. http://dx.doi.org/10.25675/10217/207239