Articles | Volume 19, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3123-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3123-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 May 2026
Research article |
| 12 May 2026
| 12 May 2026
Quantitative uncertainty and post-processing for micro-aethalometers measuring black carbon
Timothy A. Sipkens
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa ON, Canada
Joel C. Corbin
Metrology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa ON, Canada
Kerry Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
Laura-Helena Rivellini
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5S 3H6, Canada
Jonathan Abbatt
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5S 3H6, Canada
Jason S. Olfert
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
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Short summary
Aethalometers measure black carbon mass concentrations using light attenuation through a filter capturing particles. This work compares five micro-aethalometers using known mass concentrations of laboratory-generated soot. Uncertainties were found to scale with mass concentration, and an expression is given for the uncertainty as a function of mass concentration, sampling interval, and flow rate. An open-source algorithm is provided for the reanalysis of aethalometer data.
Aethalometers measure black carbon mass concentrations using light attenuation through a filter...
