Presentation
The PAQMan Platform (Platform on Air Quality Management) provides a global response to the problem of air quality management through a transdisciplinary approach by combining scientific and industrial skills.
The platform proposes and supports innovative research and development projects in the field of metrology, treatment and evaluation of nuisances and associated risks. In addition, it participates in accelerating the marketing of innovative products.
In order to bring answers to the problems of the various research projects on the management of the quality of the air, the platform leans on two powerful and complementary instruments dedicated to the sensitive and powerful measurement of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in the indoor and outdoor air. :
- Thermodesorber / gas chromatography / mass spectrometry / "sniffer" (TD-GC-MS-O) for an efficient characterization of VOCs in different gas matrices, and
- Proton resonance mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) for real-time measurement and monitoring of VOCs in indoor and outdoor air.
The chromatographic system (GC/MS/O) allows to overcome the inability of the PTR/MS to separate isomers and to address odor issues.
Proton resonance mass spectrometry (PTR/MS) offers the possibility to follow several tens of molecules in the air at very low concentration levels, ppb-ppt (parts per trillion) in real time. This technique allows one to get rid of pre-concentration methods (adsorbent tubes / SPME fibers / various adsorbent phases) which generate biases in the analysis of gas samples.
Access to the dynamics of concentration evolution is essential in most environmental studies to study transient phenomena (odors, material emissions, sensor response time, etc.) but also to make the link between exposure and pathologies (work environments, indoor air quality and many others).
The CREER has more than 2,500 square meters of laboratory space and pilot test halls (400 square meters). This immediate proximity of the CREER's facilities to the IMT Mines-Alès premises allows, in addition to the platform's instruments, access to the Laboratory for the Science of Risks (FID / PDD / NPD / FPD chromatographs, analyzers, multi-station olfactometer).
- Collaborative research
- Service provision
- Feasibility studies
- Expert assessments
- Training
In the fields of:
- IAQ (Building open to public)
- Gaseous industrial emissions
- Work environments
- Ambient air
- Health
- Transport
The platform has the knowhow for:
- Elaboration of sampling protocols for all types of sources
- Definition of experimental protocols
- Conditioning and preparation of samples
- Manipulation of gases
- Generating mixtures of standards
The skills and scientific expertise of the platform thus allow:
- Identification / quantification of targeted molecules at trace or ultra-trace levels in complex gaseous matrices
- Comparing the chemical composition of a gaseous matrix with: their associated odour and/or unpleasant effect and the potential health impact
Recent projects
- Transport & Covid-19: Optimization of disinfection devices and reduction of impacts on indoor air quality. With the Société de transports de l'agglomération stéphanoise (STAS)
- Mosquito control: Development and optimization of capture methods. With the company DIPTERATECH.