Microscopy of Combustion Products: Soot, Char, and Ash (1451), September 30–October 4, 2024 In-Person
COURSE OUTLINE & SYLLABUS
Course schedule: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Friday.
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 course, taught in-person, at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago, 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 experience or previously taken McCrone Research Institute's Applied Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) (1201) course, or the equivalent, before enrolling in this class.
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 course, taught in-person, at McCrone Research Institute in Chicago, 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 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
• Human vision• Optical properties of particles
Day 2
• Environmental microscopy• Transmitted light• Reflected light• Polarized light • Opaque and transparent particles• Illumination: brightfield, darkfield, transmitted light, reflected light, reflected darkfield, etc.
Day 3
• Soot• Char• Ash • Wildfire smoke residues
Day 4
• Sampling wipes• Micro vacuuming• Sampling strategies• Air samples• Tapelifts• More fire samples• Quantitation; area, visual, counts
Day 5
• Final exam (written and practical) • Review of exam results