Fidas® Frog backs the Munich Environmental Protection Campaign

Green City e.V. was founded in 1990 as a non-profit organization, and today it is one of the largest environmental institution in Munich. The objective of the organization is to reduce motorized individual traffic and emissions of climate-damaging gases, and to make the city greener and more livable. In Munich, the environmental organization Green City e.V. launched the campaign #MucOhneMief, meaning “Hashtag Munich without pong”, intending to draw attention to the fine dust pollution in the city. The Fidas® Frog fine dust measurement device provided by Palas® gives reliable and convenient data measurement and collection for the organization.

Fidas® Frog plays a role in the environmental protection activity in Munich

Palas® Provides Essential Testing Device Free of Charge  

In order to provide enough date for this campaign, the Fidas® Frog of Palas® became the best choice, weighing only two kilograms. The fine dust measurement system simultaneously measures the particulate fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10, as well as the particle size distributions and particle number concentrations. The handheld device is equipped with the sensors and evaluation routines of the Fidas® 200, which is TÜV-certified and approved by the Federal Environment Agency for measurements of the particle sizes PM2.5 and PM10. The environmental organization restricted the evaluation of the measurement results that it had collected for two months to these two particle sizes. Palas® provided the test device free of charge for this period.

Lightweight, Convenient and Unlimited

Decisive advantages for the campaign were the lightweight, compact design of the Fidas® Frog and its ease of operation. Thus, with a device Green City e.V. was able to collect well-founded data quickly and reliably at four different points in Munich’s Haidhausen quarter. Measurements were taken twice a day, in the morning and evening, for 20 minutes each per point. For this purpose, the measurement system was attached to a specially fitted bicycle at a height of approximately one meter. Stationary fine dust monitoring systems are often installed at heights of 3 to 4 meters, where the burden is significantly lower. “We would deliberately take the measurements at a level where children’s noses are, and at times when children go to school. It was particularly important to us to see the burden during this period”, explains Andreas Schuster, who is managing the campaign for Green City e.V.

Easy Operation with Remote Control

On the occasion of the campaign start, Karsten Pletscher, Division Manager Environmental Monitoring at Palas®, was on site and explained the intuitive operation of the Fidas® Frog. The device is controlled via a detachable tablet. This enables users to actuate the controls even far off the measurement site at any time. “The operation of this device is like a child’s play. There are few parameters to be used during the measuring process. They are mastered after a single briefing and short personal use”, said Schuster. The functions for documentation and further processing of the measurement data did not present an obstacle to technical laypersons either.

Palas® Division Manager Karsten Pletscher explains how to operate the Fidas® Frog on site

The Road to Environmental Protection is Still Obstructed and Long

The data were evaluated by Dr. Werner Zittel, Chairman of Ludwig-Bölkow-Stiftung, for Green City e.V. after its air quality measurement. His analysis showed that fine dust pollution was very high especially in the morning. Here the annual average value for fine dust particles recommended by the WHO in Munich was exceeded at all four measurement points. Limits as those of the WHO relate to long-term and regular examinations. The measurement results obtained with the Fidas® Frog represent only a snapshot. Nevertheless, the data collected with the portable fine dust monitoring device are important arguments to support the #MucOhneMief campaign in the aspect of science. They drew the local media attention to the work of the environmental organization and sensitized many citizens to the problem of fine dust. “Our conclusion is that the public measurement stations existed now in Munich are not sufficient to record the actual hazard to the citizens on a precise daily basis”, Schuster summarizes the measurement campaign with the Fidas® Frog.

Palas® Fidas® Frog portable fine dust measurement device

Convenient Instrument for Measuring Dust

The fine dust measurement device Fidas® Frog allows for a fast, reliable and quality-assured determination of fine dust e.g., monitoring within the scope of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) management at workplaces (exposure assessment) or in the range of indoor air quality measurements, such as for offices, public school buildings, passenger compartment and so on. Fidas® Frog measures simultaneously the environmentally relevant mass fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, TSP as well as the particle number and the particle size distribution within the particle size range of 0.18 – 100 µm. By providing fine dust values with high time resolution, the operator receives comprehensive information for evaluation and assessment of the fine dust pollution for the investigated application. The very compact and light design as a portable hand-held monitor with either battery or mains power operation as well as the operation time of up to 8 hours per battery charge, allow for a flexible application of the Fidas® Frog at any measurement sites.

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