Microscopy of Combustion Products: Soot, Char, and Ash (1451H), March 17–18 Online, and March 24–26, 2026 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 March 17 and March 18, 2026. The course will then be followed by three additional days in-person only conducted at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago: March 24, March 25, and March 26, 2026:
Course schedule March 17–18 : 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday – Wednesday (Central Time, U.S. and Canada, ONLINE) via Zoom.
Course schedule March 24–26 : 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 hands-on at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago (in-person 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. FULL ATTENDANCE FOR ALL 5 DAYS IS REQUIRED. STUDENTS WHO ATTEND AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE COURSE WILL RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE FROM MCCRONE RESEARCH INSTITUTE ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS.
This 5-day course, taught live (via Zoom for two days) followed by hands-on at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago (in-person 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. FULL ATTENDANCE FOR ALL 5 DAYS IS REQUIRED. STUDENTS WHO ATTEND AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE COURSE WILL RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE FROM MCCRONE RESEARCH INSTITUTE ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS.
Day 1: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Online (via Zoom)
• What particles indicate about a fire• Human vision: image and illusion
Day 2: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 Online (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, March 24, 2026 In-Person (in Chicago)
• Microscope mechanics• Examination of standards• Sampling and sample preparation• Fire residues, wildfires, and structure fires
Day 4: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 In-Person (in Chicago)
• Sampling strategies• Making standards• Examination of particles from fires• Quantitation; area, visual, counts
Day 5: Thursday, March 26, 2026 In-Person (in Chicago)
• Final exam (written and practical) • Review of exam results