When is PM10 monitoring more relevant than PM2.5?

Workplaces with dust-generating activity — construction, manufacturing, woodworking, demolition, materials handling — typically need PM10 monitoring as the leading indicator. Office and classroom monitoring usually leads with PM2.5.

Are optical dust sensors enough for occupational exposure?

Optical PM10 sensors are useful for trend monitoring and event detection but are not normally the legal reference method for occupational exposure assessment. Gravimetric sampling against the relevant workplace exposure limit remains the formal method.

Dust monitoring

PM10 monitoring — coarse particulates and workplace dust

PM10 captures the coarser dust fraction that mechanical, industrial and outdoor activity generates. For workplaces, schools near construction, and any site with dust-producing processes, PM10 monitoring is the leading particulate indicator.

Microscopic view of airborne particulates relevant to PM10 monitoring

AirQualityTech.uk · Editorial

Sources

Indoor and outdoor PM10 sources

Mechanical abrasion

Cutting, grinding, sanding and machining generate coarse particulate.

Construction & demolition

Site activity and adjacent works push PM10 into surrounding indoor environments.

Traffic & road dust

Brake, tyre and road-surface wear produce coarse outdoor PM10 that infiltrates indoors.

Resuspension

Walking, cleaning and air movement re-lift settled dust into the breathing zone.

Method

How PM10 is monitored in practice

Continuous PM10 monitoring uses optical light-scatter sensing in the same way as PM2.5, with the firmware aggregating particle counts up to 10 microns. Modern combined PM1 / PM2.5 / PM10 sensors are now standard in commercial monitors and report at one to five minute intervals.

For occupational exposure and regulated dust measurement the reference is gravimetric — a calibrated pump pulls a known volume across a pre-weighed filter, which is then re-weighed in a laboratory. Optical and gravimetric methods are complementary: continuous monitors flag events, gravimetric samples quantify the exposure.

Placement is even more important for PM10 than PM2.5. Coarse particles settle quickly, so sensors near the dust source tell a very different story to sensors a few metres away.

Reference

PM2.5 vs PM10 — what each is for

Aspect	PM2.5	PM10
Particle size	≤ 2.5 microns	≤ 10 microns (includes PM2.5)
Dominant sources	Combustion, traffic, cooking	Mechanical abrasion, dust, soil
Health concern	Penetrates deep into the lungs	Upper respiratory, irritation, dust burden
Best for	Offices, schools, residential	Workplaces, dusty processes, construction-adjacent
Reference method	Gravimetric	Gravimetric

Use cases

When PM10 monitoring earns its place

Construction-adjacent buildings

Confirms whether nearby works are pushing dust inside protected spaces.

Workshops & light industrial

Tracks short-term events from cutting, sanding and material movement.

Logistics & warehousing

Identifies dust loading from forklift traffic and palletised handling.

Outdoor air infiltration

Maps how outdoor PM10 spikes propagate through ventilation systems.

FAQ

PM10 monitoring questions

PM10 covers particles up to 10 microns in diameter and includes coarser dust generated by mechanical processes, abrasion, traffic and resuspension. PM2.5 is the fine fraction within PM10, driven more by combustion and outdoor pollution.

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Specification and deployment of dust and particulate monitoring across UK commercial and industrial sites.

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