MEASUREMENT & MONITORING
THE 2060 MARGA
METROHM
A RE-INVENTED WAY OF AIR QUALITY MONITORING
Ambient air quality is critical for our health
and the environment. According to the
World Health Organization 91% of the world
population lives in places where the WHO
air quality guideline levels are not met. To
monitor the air quality, Metrohm Process
Analytics has re-invented the well-known
Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in ambient
Air (MARGA) as the 2060 MARGA.
When considering the effects of aerosols on
health and the environment, it is necessary
to understand how they are formed
from their precursor gases and how their
concentration and composition vary with
diurnal and seasonal cycles. To achieve this,
continuous measurements are required with
sufficient time resolution so that the various
aerosol formation processes can be clarified.
Metrohm Process Analytics has developed
the 2060 MARGA, which is a fully
autonomous sampling and measurement
system that continuously measures the
water-soluble gas and aerosol components
that have a direct effect on air quality. Air
is drawn in to the instrument by a vacuum
pump at a constant flow rate. Before
entering the instrument, the maximum size
of particulate matter (PM) can be limited
by utilizing a size-selective inlet (e.g. PM
1.0, PM 2.5 or PM 10). A dual-channel ion
chromatograph (IC) quantifies anions and
cations in aerosols and water-soluble gases
simultaneously with high accuracies to
reach detection limits as low as 0.001 µg/
m3.
Gases measured: Hydrochloric Acid (HCl),
Nitric acid (HNO3), Nitrous acid (HONO),
Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Ammonia (NH3)
Aerosol ions measured: Chloride (Cl-),
Nitrate (NO3-), Sulfate (SO42-), Ammonium
(NH4+), Potassium (K+), Calcium (Ca2+),
Magnesium (Mg2+)
The 2060 MARGA is available in two
versions:
The 2060 MARGA Research is an excellent
choice for air monitoring during research
campaigns (e.g. to study seasonal cycles).
When the 2060 MARGA R isn’t being used
for air monitoring, the IC can still be used as
a stand-alone laboratory instrument.
The 2060 MARGA Monitor is used to
monitor the air quality 24/7 at a fixed
position.
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PECM Issue 38
www.metrohm.com/en-gb/products-
overview/process-analyzers/
applikon-marga/