NSAM-derived total surface area versus SMPS-derived “mobility equivalent” surface area for different environmentally relevant aerosols

• Performance of the NSAM was assessed using an SMPS.
• Response of NSAM to five different aerosols was investigated.
• Response is affected at high number concentration for some aerosols, but not all.
• Response falls significantly during ambient particle formation events.

The surface area of inhaled particles deposited in the alveolar region, as reported by the TSI nanoparticle surface area monitor (NSAM), was compared with the corresponding value estimated by a TSI scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) for a range of environmentally relevant aerosols, including petrol emissions, ETS, laser printer emissions, cooking emissions and ambient aerosols. The SMPS values were based on a mobility size distribution assuming spherical particles using the appropriate size-dependent alveolar-deposition factors provided by the ICRP. In most cases, the two instruments showed good linear agreement. With petrol emissions and ETS, the linearity extended to over 103 μm2 cm−3. With printer emissions, there was good linearity up to about 300 μm2 cm−3 while the NSAM increasingly overestimated the surface area at higher concentrations. The presence of a nucleation event in ambient air caused the NSAM to over-estimate the surface area by a factor of 2. We summarize these results and conclude that the maximum number concentration up to which the NSAM is accurate clearly depends on the type of aerosol being sampled and provide guidance for the use of the instrument.