PM 2.5 portable particle counter

Project Title: PM 2.5 portable particle counter

Project Lead’s Name: Colin Atwater

Email: atwatecg@miamioh.edu

Phone: (412) 860-3096

Please Choose the Primary Affiliation: CEC

Faculty/Staff Sponsor (required for student-submitted proposals): Catherine Almquist

Sponsor Email Address: almquic@miamioh.edu

Are There Other Project Team Members?: Yes

Other Project Team Member: Christopher Viens

Other Team Member Email Address: Viensca@miamioh.edu

Brief description of project: Purchase of a portable particle counter to be used in assessing PM concentrations in indoor environments. This purchase can be used for Engineers Without Borders (EWB) as well as other CEC engineering projects.

Does this project focus on graduate student education or graduate student life?: No

Describe the problem you are attempting to solve and your approach for solving that problem.: Currently, we have very little capability to measure particulate matter in the indoor environment. The methods used currently include pulling vacuum through a filter and measuring the particulate mass on the filter over a specified filter volume. This handheld instruments will give us accurate and very fast data....especially in environments where electricity is not available.

The criteria state that technology fee projects should benefit students in innovative and/or significant ways. How would you describe the innovation and/or significance of your project?: EWB currently needs such a device to measure particulate matter in the indoor environment. According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution kills more people each year than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Many companies and non-profits are working to address the issue on a household scale. However, EWB Miami is working on the problem at an institutional scale in Rwanda.

CEC also offers a class in Air Pollution Control, and this device can be used to enhance student projects in that class as well.

How will you assess the project?: The project will be assessed based upon its effective use for EWB projects as well as CPB Air Pollution Control class projects. The application of the device for publishable/presentable data collected in student projects will be a measure of success.

Have you applied for and/or received Tech Fee awards in past years?: No

What happens to the project in year two and beyond? Will there be any ongoing costs such as software or hardware maintenance, supplies, staffing, etc.? How will these be funded?: The device will be maintained and kept by the faculty advisor for EWB since the project will extend past the graduation date of the students currently in EWB Miami.

Budget: Hardware

Hardware Title(s) & Vendor(s): https://www.amazon.com/Handheld-Portable-Particle-Counter-Mic rogram/dp/B00IPCB0L8

Hardware Costs: $690.00

What is the total budget amount requested?: $690.00