Electrets to measure ion concentration in air

Positive and negative ions are produced in air, mainly due to radon and terrestrial/cosmic radiation sources. Measuring ion concentration in air indirectly provides a measure of these sources. Electrets (electrically charged pieces of Teflon), when exposed in the environment, collect ions of opposite sign leading to a measurable decrease in charge, depending upon the exposure time and ion concentration. This work describes a method of correlating electret discharge rate to the ion concentration as measured by a calibrated ion density meter. Once calibrated, electrets can then be used to measure ion concentration of either sign. The ion concentration in ambient air was measured to be about 200 ions mL(-1), measured over several hours. Both positive and negative ion concentrations were similar. In a typical room, negative ion concentration was about 3,500 ions mL(-1), and, surprisingly, there were no positive ions at all in that room. Being an integrating passive device, the method provides the unique possibility of measuring low or high concentrations of positive or negative ions over extended periods, which is difficult to do with other ion concentration measuring instruments.