 Hi! Welcome to OISOM Academy. Let's begin with all you need to know about PM1. Particular matter is not a single air pollutant but refers to a complex mixture of solids and aerosols of varying shape, size and chemical composition. They are composed of various chemical species like organic compounds, inorganic ions, metallic compounds, elementary carbon, etc. They are either directly emitted from a source or are formed through chemical reactions of other air pollutants such as NOx, SOx, VOCs in the atmosphere. As the impact of particulate matter exposure on human health directly depends on the size of the particles, they are classified by the diameter for air quality regulatory purposes. The particles with a diameter of 1 micron or less are collectively known as PM1. Sources of PM1 include marine aerosol, soil erosion, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. Other sources are burning fossil fuels, agricultural processes, cooking and cigarette smoke, emission from diesel powered vehicles, power generation, industrial processes and so on. These ultra fine, inhalable particles remain suspended into the air due to their negligible mass making humans more susceptible to exposure. PM1 particles are 400 times thinner than a human hair and travel deep into the lungs to the alveoli and may enter the bloodstream reaching other parts of the body. Now initially it causes irritation to eyes, nose, throat and upper respiratory tracts, cuffing, sneezing and shortness of breath aggravating already present respiratory diseases. Prolonged exposure causes permanent respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart attacks, lung cancer, edema, etc leading to premature death. PM1 alters the absorption and scattering of light in the atmosphere affecting visibility. They majorly contribute to small formation. PM1 monitoring is an efficient way to detect high concentrations of particulate matter and prevent high level exposures. Now different working principles for monitoring particulate matter of all sizes in the ambient environment are gravimetric, TOM, beta attenuation and laser scattering. OISOM's PM sensor works on the active sampling method of laser scattering that counts particulate matter using a highly accurate laser beam. OISOM's DESTROID is an online particulate monitoring system that measures the concentration of various particulate sizes ranging from 1 micron to 100 microns such as PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and PM100 in the ambient air. DESTROID can be used for dust monitoring in areas with dust lead in activities like construction, mining, quarrying, ports, metallurgical processes and many more. Real-time particulate matter monitoring using DESTROID can assist in dust separation automation. For instance, to activate suppressants at a location once the threshold is breached. I hope you now know all about PM1. For any questions or suggestions, please contact us. Thank you and happy learning.