Microscopy of Combustion Products: Soot, Char, and Ash (1451H), July 15–16 Online, and July 22–24, 2025 In-Person
COURSE OUTLINE & SYLLABUS
This is a 5-day hybrid course combining live online and hands-on, in-person learning; full attendance for all 5 days is required. The first two days of this course will be conducted live via Zoom only on July 15 and July 16, 2025. The course will then be followed by three additional days in-person only conducted at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago: July 22, July 23, and July 24, 2025. Class size is limited.
Course schedule July 15–16 : 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday – Wednesday (Central Time, U.S. and Canada, ONLINE) via Zoom.
Course schedule July 22–24 : 9:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Tuesday – Wednesday – Thursday (Central Time, U.S., IN-PERSON) in Chicago.
All indoor air quality (IAQ) specialists who identify particulate from air, bulk, and settled dust samples encounter particles with the microscope that are not immediately recognizable and suspected as being the carbonaceous by-products from the combustion of organic matter. Using transmitted and reflected-light illumination techniques, students will study and characterize the microscopical shape, size, color, transparency, opacity, and other optical properties that lead to the identification of the sources of combustion products encountered in indoor and outdoor environmental samples.
This 5-day course, taught live via Zoom for two days followed by in-person, hands-on at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago for three days, is appropriate for microscopists, air-quality specialists, aerobiologists, and industrial hygienists who want to identify combustion residues (soot, char, and ash) and their possible sources with the light microscope.
At the conclusion of the course, students will be familiar with the particles created by combustion, the microscope and accessories needed to prepare samples for analysis, and methods of quantifying exposure. It is recommended that the student has microscopy experience or previously taken McCrone Research Institute's Applied Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) (1201) course, or the equivalent, before enrolling in this class.
This 5-day course, taught live via Zoom for two days followed by in-person, hands-on at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago for three days, is appropriate for microscopists, air-quality specialists, aerobiologists, and industrial hygienists who want to identify combustion residues (soot, char, and ash) and their possible sources with the light microscope.
At the conclusion of the course, students will be familiar with the particles created by combustion, the microscope and accessories needed to prepare samples for analysis, and methods of quantifying exposure. It is recommended that the student has microscopy experience or previously taken McCrone Research Institute's Applied Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) (1201) course, or the equivalent, before enrolling in this class.
Day 1: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 On-line (via Zoom)
• What particles indicate about a fire• Human vision; image and illusion
Day 2: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 On-line (via Zoom)
• Environmental microscope• Transmitted light images• Reflected light images• Polarized light• Opaque and transparent particles• Illumination: brightfield, darkfield, transmitted light, reflected light, reflected darkfield, polarized light, etc.
Day 3: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 In-Person (in Chicago)
• Microscope mechanics• Examination of standards• Sampling and sample preparation• Fire residues, wildfires, and structure fires
Day 4: Wednesday, July 23, 2025 In-Person (in Chicago)
• Sampling strategies• Making standards• Examination of particles from fires• Quantitation; area, visual, counts
Day 5: Thursday, July 24, 2025 In-Person (in Chicago)
• Final exam (written and practical) • Review of exam results