Green City e.V. used the particle measurement system to collect well-founded data
The new Fidas® Frog has made an important contribution to #MucOhneMief (meaning “Hashtag Munich without pong”), a campaign of the Munich-based environmental organization Green City e.V. The compact monitoring system weighing only two kilograms simultaneously measures the particulate fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10, as well as the particle size distributions, and is equipped with the TÜV-certified measurement tech- nology of the Fidas® 200. This enabled Green City e.V. to quickly and easily measure and evaluate particulate pollution at four different locations in Munich for several weeks.
In Munich, this year the environmental organization Green City e.V. launched the campaign #MucOhneMief (meaning “Hashtag Munich without pong”), intended to draw attention to the fine dust pollution in the city. In the first phase the central element of the campaign was the Fidas® Frog of Palas®, weighing only two kilograms. The fine dust monitoring 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.
Decisive advantages for the campaign were the lightweight, compact design of the Fidas® Frog and its ease of operation. Thus, with this 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 a height 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 for us to see the burden during this period,” explains Andreas Schuster, who is managing the campaign for Green City e.V.
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. “Operation is 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.
High fine dust pollution in the matutinal hours
The data were evaluated by Dr. Werner Zittel, Chairman of Ludwig-Bölkow-Stiftung, for Green City e.V. 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. They drew the desired 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 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.