Weigh a sample of city air and PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ will tell you a lot. They just won't tell you everything. The smallest particles hardly register on the scale, but they make up for it in numbers, and they're moving fast up the agenda of researchers, monitoring networks and European regulators.
On Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 09:00 CEST, AVL is hosting a free live webinar on exactly this topic. If you work with air quality data, it's an hour well spent.
👉 Register for the AVL webinar
Who is AVL?
Many people know AVL from the automotive world. The Austrian company, headquartered in Graz, has spent decades developing measurement technology for engine and emissions testing. Counting the tiniest particles in exhaust gas has long been part of that work.
AVL now brings that aerosol expertise to ambient air. The know-how that helped set the bar for particle measurement in vehicle testing is behind its instruments for air quality networks. When a company has spent that long counting particles nobody can see, it tends to get rather good at it.
Webinar: AVL Ambient Air Monitoring – Ultrafine Particles
The session is part of the AVL Ambient Air Insights series. It focuses on the practical value of ultrafine particle (UFP) measurements:
- What can particle number reveal that PM mass alone may miss? Think of urban pollution patterns and short-term concentration peaks from traffic, airports or industry. These events often disappear in an hourly mass average.
- How does condensation particle counting work? AVL's experts explain the measuring principle in plain terms.
- What does UFP monitoring look like in everyday practice? The webinar covers robust measurement technology, a dedicated sampling system and convenient butanol handling.
You don't need a PhD in aerosol physics to follow along. You'll come away knowing what continuous UFP monitoring involves and what to look for in an instrument.
Why it matters now: EU Directive 2024/2881
Ultrafine particles are no longer just a research topic. The revised EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (2024/2881) requires member states to measure ultrafine particles and black carbon at monitoring supersites. It also encourages UFP monitoring at locations where high concentrations are likely.
Member states have to transpose the directive into national law by the end of 2026. Monitoring networks across the Benelux will need to deliver UFP data soon after. That makes questions about instrument choice, data quality and maintenance very concrete, and this webinar timely.
The AVL UltraFine Particle Monitor™
At the centre of the webinar is the AVL UltraFine Particle Monitor™. It's a condensation particle counter designed for continuous ambient air monitoring. AVL built it to measure particle number concentration in compliance with EN 16976 and the ACTRIS guidelines.
AVL highlights three strengths:
- Fast response time, so short-lived pollution events actually show up in the data.
- Reliable performance for long-term operation in monitoring networks.
- Minimal maintenance, which keeps technicians' time for things that need it.
The aim is data networks can act on. It helps identify risk areas, take timely action and ultimately improve public health.
The AVL Butanol Remover
Most condensation particle counters use butanol as their working fluid. In a multi-pollutant station, butanol vapour from the exhaust can interfere with VOC measurements. It also leaves an odour that nobody in the shelter appreciates.
AVL's answer is the AVL Butanol Remover. It removes butanol vapour from CPC exhaust with an efficiency of more than 99.99%. VOC data stays reliable and the station stays safe and odour-free. That's a real advantage for supersites where UFPs, black carbon, gases and VOCs share the same space.
Who should attend?
- Monitoring network operators preparing for the new directive
- Research institutes working on exposure, source apportionment or aerosol science
- Consultants advising authorities or industry on air quality
- Industrial sites, ports and airports that want to understand their UFP footprint
Save the date
AVL Ambient Air Monitoring: Ultrafine Particles
📅 Wednesday 21 October 2026
🕘 09:00 CEST
💻 Online, free of charge
👉 Register now on the AVL website
AAVOS is AVL's distributor for ambient air monitoring in the Benelux. For questions about the AVL UltraFine Particle Monitor™ in your region, feel free to contact us.