Methods of Aerosol Measurement before the 1960s

The time period before the 1960s can be described as the classical age of aerosol science and aerosol measurement. The measurement philosophy during this period was different from that of the period after the 1960s. Particle number concentration was considered the most important parameter. Optical microscopy was the determinative procedure for sample evaluation, for particle counting, and for size measurement. The most frequently used sampling methods were impaction and impingement, thermal and electrostatic precipitation, and filtration. Condensation samplers, as well as manual condensation nuclei counters, were used also. Manual and simple light scattering and light absorption methods played an already important role. Ultramicroscopy and nephelometry were commonly used methods. Elutriators and aerosol centrifuges were used for determining aerodynamic particle sizes, particle shape factors, and mass size distributions. Chemical aerosol analysis was in a developing state. Silica, silicates, and heavy metals were the most often detected dust and aerosol components. Titration, colorimetry, photometry, and polarography were the most commonly used analytical procedures. Practically no automatic or computer-supported measurement or analytical equipment was available at this time. Sampling instruments often were made in the laboratory, rather than produced commercially.