ACTRIS Marketplace

Production , injection , ageing , collection and characterization of atmospheric aerosols. Particulate matter analysis through off-line gravimetric, optical and thermo-optical analysis, Energy Dispersive- X Ray Fluorescence, Ion Chromatography

- Intercomparison of instrumentation to evaluate performance under different environmental conditions.
- Study of interferences.
- Accommodation of a large number of external instruments. Support in planning and installation.
- Use of the chamber for technological development of instruments

TIME CONSTRAINTS: None. Coordination with other activities of the facility is needed. 

- Prototype testing.
- Use of the chamber to test, develop or improve new depolluting materials or devices, e.g. air cleaners, etc.
- Tests close to market
- Support for planning and evaluation of data experiments.

TIME CONSTRAINTS: None. Coordination with other activities of the facility is needed. 

Provision of diverse platforms with manifolds equipped with ACTRIS-ICOS compliant sampling systems for in-situ aerosol and reactive and greenhouse gases for exercises of instrument intercomparison. The platforms are hosted in two air-conditioned shelters equipped with internet. Multiple inlets to the sampling systems are available for the external users. Provision also of a 300 m² open terrace which overpass the pines canopy providing a 360º free horizon for optical field calibration and a radiometric calibration laboratory (absolute irradiance calibration and instrument characterization). All platforms are equipped with continuous power supply and security service.

 The service includes:

• Access to the intercomparison platforms at ARN.

• Administrative support for providing access to the facility, a workspace with internet access, and to advice on logistics for equipment transport and users and on accommodation near ARN observatory.

• Technical staff support to reception and storage of the transport cases, for adapting the facility to assemble the new equipment, for its installation (internet connection, power supply, etc) and for its operation.

• Provision of calibration or intercomparison reports.

Service for training through hands-on-instrument operative and data analysis in accordance with ACTRIS and ICOS requirements. The service applies to in-situ aerosol measurement techniques (variables defined in ACTRIS), aerosol remote sensing (photometry, zenithal radiation and LIDAR), DOAS technique, reactive and greenhouse (ICOS) gases, solar radiation measurements.

 The service includes:

• Administrative support for providing access to the facility, a workspace with internet access, and to advice on logistics for equipment transport and users and on accommodation near ARN observatory (physical).

• Hands-on training for the operation and calibration of the instruments.

• Training for the creation of data processing environments, as well as for the use of advanced processing algorithms and tools.

Continuous real-time measurements of plant pollen in the background sub-Arctic atmosphere. The measurements are conducted with in-situ observations (using the Swissens Poleno Jupiter automatic pollen analyzer).

Sodankylä: The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s (FMI) Sodankylä facility (67°22’ N, 26°39’ E) hosts programs exploring upper air chemistry and dynamics, atmospheric column and profile measurements, snow/soil hydrology, biosphere-atmosphere interaction and satellite calibration-validation studies. The Sodankylä station contributes to Aeronet, NDACC, TCCON, GRUAN and other networks.  

At Sodankylä infrastructure is available for various atmospheric measurements. The services include:

- support for in situ balloon borne measurements of atmospheric composition. Examples are balloon-borne observations of atmospheric trace gases and aerosol properties. Regular radiosonde profiles are taken twice per 24 hours, at noon and at midnight. It is also possible to increase frequency of automated sonde launches for special observational periods.

- auxiliary ground-based observations are performed by various spectrometers dedicated to atmospheric composition measurements. 

The technical solution for measurement in extreme high levels. Possibility to test specialized instrumentation in demanding conditions (shocks, vibrations, vertical gradients) of a 250 m high tall tower. The instrumentation can be placed on individual measuring platforms (8 m, 50 m, 125 m, 230 m), the instrument dimensions are limited by platform size and lift capacity.

Testing of the instrumentation by the unmanned aerial system (UAS). Possibility to use own UAS (necessary to comply with the legal regulations and laws of the Czech Republic, including insurance) within the specific conditions close to the tall tower. There is an option to compare/calibrate measurement parameters with regular tall tower data sets (meteorology, greenhouse gases, physical and chemical properties of aerosols, cloud mapping, etc.).

Opportunity to use the NAOK´s infrastructure fenced and secured area - sampling platforms, power supply, concrete platforms for sampling.

Providing results from online measurements –NO-NOX-NO2, SO2, PM10, PM2.5, CO, physical and chemical properties of aerosol particles.

Results availability from offline measurements - PM10, PM2.5, PM1, chemical composition - cations (PM2.5), anions (TSP), EC/OC (PM2.5), PAHs, heavy metals (PM10, PM2.5).

Accommodation directly at NAOK in rooms with private bathrooms (12 double rooms) with the possibility of local non-vegetarian food :o), use of seminar room with the capacity of 20 people, availability of small kitchen with limited equipment.

More information about measurement is here: https://actris.cz/web/data-and-measurement/

The service consists of:

• Physical access to the IASC facility

• possibility to perform 6 hr experiments in the simulation chamber

• technical service to use own instruments

• training for planning, evaluation and interpretation of experiments.

• Hands-on training sessions with state of the art instrumentation connected to IASC

• Training on how to design and perform chamber experiments by experienced scientists

• Remote access to the IASC facility and provision of data from simulation chamber experiments.

IASC is a custom-built atmospheric simulation chamber specially designed for investigating atmospheric processes, as well as testing and developing new atmospheric measurement techniques. The chamber is a 27 m3 cuboid (4.5 m long × 3 m wide × 2 m high) made of FEP Teflon foil, supported in a frame and surrounded by an air-conditioned housing. Several banks of lamps provide UV-A and UV-B radiation to enable studies of atmospheric photochemistry. The chamber is fitted with a gas flow control system for filling/flushing the chamber with purified dry air and numerous ports for adding/sampling gases and particles. A specially designed access door also allows items (e.g. sensors or devices, samples or test materials) to be positioned inside the chamber.

The facility is equipped with a comprehensive range of instruments:

• Highly sensitive time of flight chemical ionisation mass spectrometer (ToF-CIMS, Aerodyne) for monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gases at atmospherically relevant concentrations. The instrument is also equipped with a Filter Inlet for Gases and  AEROsols (FIGAERO) to allow collection and analysis of species in the particulate phase.

• Unique custom-built spectroscopy system for in situ measurements of gases, radicals and properties of particles. Current capabilities are based on cavity enhanced spectroscopies and include HONO, NO2, glyoxal and NO3 radicals, as well as total extinction in the near UV. The system is customisable and can be adapted to measure a range of species over different parts of the spectrum.

• Continuous online measurements of gases (CO2, NOx, O3, SO2) and particles (scanning mobility particle sizer). Air pressure, temperature, and relative humidity are also routinely recorded.

  TIME CONSTRAINTS: None, although access has to be coordinated with other activities in laboratory

IASC will work with researchers and innovators to develop and test new techniques for measuring atmospheric gases and particles. 

Existing standard operating procedures can be used for comparing the performance of new techniques with established techniques. 

IASC will work with innovators in both the public and private sector to test the performance of near-to-market sensors and instruments for measuring atmospheric gases and particles. 

Existing standard operating procedures can be used for comparing the performance of new products with established measurement methods.

The service consists of:

- Investigations of atmospheric processes in the gas- and particle phase

- Investigations of emissions from different combustion emission sources

 - Investigations of atmospheric aging od emissions from different combustion emission sources

- Investigations on toxicological properties of aged and fresh emissions

- Provision of data from experiments

- technical service to use own instruments

- training for planning, evaluation and interpretation of experiments 

- Testing and validating instruments

TIME CONSTRAINTS: None, although access has to be coordinated with other activities in laboratory

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