The service consists of:

- Physical, remote and hybrid access to the MAC facility

- possibility to perform 6 -8 hr experiments in the simulation chamber

- technical service to use own instruments

- training for planning, evaluation and interpretation of experiments.

- training with state of the art instrumentation connected to MAC 

- training in design and performance of chamber experiments by experienced scientists

MAC is a custom-built atmospheric simulation chamber designed for investigating atmospheric processes, testing new atmospheric measurement techniques and investigating the potential climate and health impacts of pollutants. The chamber is a 18 m3 collapsible cuboid (3 m long × 2 m wide × 3 m high) made of FEP Teflon foil, supported by a central fixed frame and counter-weighted upper and lower frames, surrounded by an air-conditioned housing. A suite of arc, halogen and uv mercury lamps provides simulated solar irradiation. A gas flow control system provides automated filling and flushing of the chamber with purified dry air and numerous ports allow addition and sampling of gases and particles, with bespoke manifolds allowing ready adaptation of instrument and device connection.

The facility has a wide range of ancillary components for injection of pollutants, including electropneumatically valve-controlled large-bore inlets for real pollutant sources (wood-burning stove, Euro 6 engine dynamometer, cooking chamber etc…). 

The chamber can be connected to a variety of devices for investigation of health impacts, including cell exposures (using an air-liquid interface system) and human exposures under clinical trial conditions.

The facility is equipped with a comprehensive range of instruments including:

i)  number of single- and multi-reagent ion time of flight chemical ionisation mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS, Aerodyne) for monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gases at atmospherically relevant concentrations with a range of inlets including the Filter Inlet for Gases and  AEROsols (FIGAERO) to allow analysis of particulate species.

ii) wide range of particle analysis instrumentation, including mobility, optical and aerodynamic sizing (SMPS, DMPS, OPC, APS) and online composition analysis by various time of flight aerosol mass spectrometers (C-ToF, HR-ToF and L-ToF AMS instruments) and particle water uptake under sub-saturated and supersaturated conditions (HTDMA and CCNc)

iii) Continuous online measurements of gases (CO2, NOx, O3), pressure, temperature, and relative humidity by capacitance and dewpoint hygrometers.

TIME CONSTRAINTS: None, although access, staff, ancillary component  and instrument availability must be coordinated with other activities in laboratory