Technical noteDevelopment of a polarization optical particle counter capable of aerosol type classification

- A polarization optical particle counter (POPC) was developed.
- Classification rule for aerosol types was determined from the pulse height and polarization ratio.
- POPC is suitable for Asian dust monitoring.
- POPC-measured air pollution concentration correlated with black carbon particles.

We developed a polarization optical particle counter (POPC) for measuring the concentrations of aerosol types, which were classified using polarization information from particle-scattered light. Polarization sensors that detect P and S polarization components of scattered light were placed at a scattering angle of 120°. The polarization ratio is calculated as the ratio of the S component to the sum of the S and P components, and it is used to help distinguish proposed aerosol types. The POPC field observation was conducted in Fukuoka, located in the western part of Japan, in 2012. The classification rule for three aerosol types (mineral dust, air pollution, and sea-salt particles) was determined empirically on the basis of measurements during typical conditions dominated by each aerosol type. The mass concentration of each aerosol type was estimated from the POPC measurement with some assumptions. The results indicate independent seasonal variation in each aerosol mass concentration. Using black carbon as an indicator of anthropogenic aerosols, we show a correlation of 0.770 with our estimated pollution aerosol type.