Workshop on Ultrafine Particles: Classification, Characterization, and Instrument Performance Requirements

(In-person only event)

Date: March 26, 2026

Event Location:  Hyatt Regency Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States

Organized by: ASTM Committee D22 on Air Quality 

 

 

About the Event

The Workshop on Ultrafine Particles: Classification, Characterization, and Instrument Performance Requirements will be held March 26, 2026. The workshop is organized by ASTM Committee D22 on Air Quality, and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States in conjunction with the standards development meetings of the committee. The language of the workshop will be English.

 

Objective and Scope

While toxicological research has traditionally focused on PM2.5, growing evidence suggests that ultrafine particles (UFPs)—particles between 5 and 1000 nm—may have significant health implications due to their high surface area and ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. These particles, which are generally undetectable by traditional optical methods, require specialized technologies to characterize their number, size, surface area, and mass.

This workshop will explore:

  • Defining UFPs by maximum particle size
  • Classification of UFP types and sources
  • Detection technologies, including Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) and charged particle counters
  • Instrument performance requirements and quality control
  • Correlating UFP parameters with health outcomes

Despite extensive study, consensus on these key issues has not been achieved within the aerosol and particle science community. This workshop aims to serve as a collaborative forum for identifying paths forward toward standardized definitions and measurement approaches.

Abstracts on the following and related topics are encouraged:

  • UFP particle size range and characterization
  • Critical parameters: particle number, surface area, lung-deposited surface area (LDSA), or particle diameter
  • UFP measurement: emerging detection technologies, and evaluations of current commercial instrumentation
  • Data quality objectives and indicators
  • Correlating UFP exposure data with toxicological and epidemiological health outcomes
  • Comparison of measurement techniques
  • Market acceptance and practical implementation of UFP technologies

Target Audience

This workshop is intended for:

  • Academics: toxicologists, epidemiologists, aerosol and healthcare scientists, and analytical chemists
  • Regulators: those involved in environmental and public health policy
  • Instrument Manufacturers: technical directors, CTOs, applications chemists, R&D engineers, and industrial scientists

 

Abstract Submission

Those interested in presenting at this workshop should submit a 250 to 300-word abstract pertaining to the above topics to Workshop Chairs John Saffell and Raul Dominguez by October 17, 2025.

 

Publication Information

Symposium authors are required to submit their papers for ASTM publication in Selected Technical Papers (STP), an online and printed, peer-reviewed publication for the international scientific and engineering community. STP papers should be full-length technical papers of approximately 10,000 words, significantly contribute to the technical literature, and must include a review of past work in the relevant area and present information of current interest or probe new fields. After the final selection of abstracts has been approved, the ASTM Editorial Office will send authors’ instructions via email, but also can be found by clicking here.

Manuscripts to be peer reviewed for the STP are due online no later than DATE at the ASTM Editorial Office. The corresponding author (the author who is the main contact with ASTM Headquarters) will receive a copy of his/her paper in portable document format (PDF). All published authors will have the opportunity to purchase reprints of their papers at a nominal cost. Only those papers submitted by the manuscript due date will be included in the STP. Please note that all submitted papers are subject to peer review by two independent reviewers.

The STP will be submitted to the Library of Congress with an ISBN number and will be reviewed for inclusion in the Web of Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index (CPCI) and Google Scholar.

 

Technical Program

A technical program (presentation times, titles, and presenters’ names) will be posted on the ASTM website by early 2026.

 

Registration

Registration opens approximately 10 weeks before the start of the workshop.

 

Registration

Registration is now open. The fees to attend this event are listed below.

 

Through

MONTH DAY, YEAR

 After MONTH DAY, YEAR
ASTM Member $100.00 $200.00
Non-member $200.00 $300.00
Presenter Waived Waived
Student* Waived Waived

Not an ASTM Member?  An Individual Membership costs only $115.00. If you would like to become a member of ASTM International and Committee D22 to begin taking advantage of all the ASTM membership benefits, including attending this event at a reduced rate, please use the link below to join ASTM before registering for the event. After you have become a member, please return to this webpage to register for the event as an ASTM Member.

ASTM International Membership

All Attendees – All attendees are urged to register for this workshop before arriving onsite. All attendees must check in at the ASTM Registration Area to obtain their name badge before entering the event room.

Presenters– Workshop presenters do not need to register. All presenters will be automatically registered by ASTM.

*Students – Students may be eligible for a reduced registration fee provided they meet certain requirements. To qualify for the reduced fee, you must be an active ASTM Student Member, full-time student, not employed full-time, and be able to provide a current valid university email address for registration. To register as a student, please email ASTM Symposia Operations at symposia@astm.org with your current university email address and your ASTM Student Member membership number.

Cancellations – A refund of the workshop fee will be honored only if requested at least 10 business days prior to the start of the event. To cancel your registration, please click the "Modify My Registration" button found in your registration confirmation email and follow the prompts to cancel your registration. Please contact Symposia Operations at symposia@astm.org or 610-832-9522 if you need assistance.

If you have questions concerning online registration, please contact Symposia Operations at
symposia@astm.org Tel: 610-832-9522, or ASTM Technical Support at https://www.astm.org/contact.

 

Technical Chair Contact Information


John Saffell
NosmoTech
Email: john@nosmotech.com
Phone: +44 7802 827 828

Raul Dominguez
South Coast Air Quality Management
Email: RDominguez@aqmd.gov
Phone: +1 (909) 396-2225

 

Continuing Education Units

Workshop attendees interested in receiving 0.35 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) must complete the CEU application form in the back of the program booklet and email it to ASTM Symposia Operations at symposia@astm.org. You must be registered and have attended the entire event in order to receive the CEU’s. A certificate will be sent to you via email approximately 1 to 2 weeks after the workshop concludes.

 

Hotel Information

The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Dallas, Texas. More information on how to make your sleeping room reservation will be posted approximately 12 weeks prior to the start of the event.

 

Hotel Information

 

COPY AND PASTE HOTEL INFORMATION

 

Standards Development Meetings

Committee D22 invites you to attend their future standards development meetings. There is no fee to attend these meetings, and membership in ASTM International is not required to attend. For more information about the committee and their future meetings, please visit the Committee D22 Homepage.