Black Carbon Module Siting Guide
Choosing the right site is what turns black carbon data into actionable insight. The best location depends on your project goals and on where black carbon is being emitted. This guide covers what to consider.
Where black carbon comes from
Black carbon (BC) is emitted by combustion — biomass burning (wood heating, cook stoves, forest fires) and fossil fuel combustion (vehicle emissions, coal-fired power plants). Unlike pollutants such as ozone and some PM2.5 components, BC forms only as a particle directly from the source, with no chemical formation away from it. That makes the Black Carbon Module excellent for highlighting combustion hotspots.
Site categories and typical concentrations
It helps to think of candidate sites as broad categories:
| Category | Description | Typical BC range (ng/m³) |
|---|---|---|
| Near road | Within tens of meters of a road or busy intersection; explores the impact of traffic emissions. | 1,000 – 10,000 |
| Urban background | In an urban area but not next to a major source; quantifies typical urban exposure. | 500 – 5,000 |
| Regional background | Outside the urban area, away from major sources; quantifies rural exposure and large-scale background. | 100 – 200 |
| Smoke impacted | In an area affected (or potentially affected) by smoke episodes; quantifies wildfire smoke impact. | 5,000 – 50,000+ |
Project-specific considerations
Keep your goals front of mind. A few examples:
- Highlight a major emission source — place the instrument near a source of interest (a power plant or industrial facility). A second site farther away or upwind gives you a background comparison.
- Explore traffic emissions — choose sites near roads (within tens of meters) and busy intersections. An additional site away from roads (urban or regional background) makes a useful comparison.
- Quantify BC in an urban area — choose sites in the urban area but away from major sources. BC can vary a lot across one city, so placing several monitors in different neighborhoods reveals hotspots.
- Compare urban vs. wildfire emissions — the Module estimates the percent of BC attributed to fossil fuel versus biomass burning, so siting in urban or rural areas at risk of wildfire smoke lets you apportion the plume's sources.
General siting best practices
Once you've found a location of interest, the Black Carbon Module should:
- Be at least 6 meters from obvious pollution sources like an exhaust vent, generator, or outdoor grill.
- Be about 2–5 meters above the ground (higher for more regional exposure).
- Be positioned away from obstructions — at least 2 meters from buildings and 10 meters from a tree's drip line. If you must mount on a building, use the upwind side.
- Have unrestricted airflow 180–270° around the Module's air inlet.
- Be installed at a location or height that reduces the risk of vandalism, tampering, and theft.
- Account for solar panel efficacy if you're using the External Power System.
What's next
- Deploy the Black Carbon Module.
- Black Carbon Module maintenance.
- View and interpret Black Carbon data.
Was this article helpful?
Yes, thanks! / Not really
Still need a hand? Email us at support@clarity.io or create a support ticket, and our team will get back to you.