Air Analyst

Small particles in the air can lodge in the lungs and make breathing difficult — and Trial Lawyers happy. To keep their employees safe, companies hire Air Analysts to test the air for contaminants and develop processes to reduce the pollutants.

Air Analysts conduct tests using specialized equipment. The machines pull air in and deposit the particles found on a small slide. After each test, you — the AIr Analyst — label the slide, and carefully record the amount of air pulled in and where they were standing when the reading took place. Many areas of the building must be tested, so you repeat the procedure several times.

When you arrive in your office, you look at the slides and determine what particles are on them. You also do fancy math to find out how many particles exist in the sample of air you pulled in. Calculations can be tricky, and counting on your fingers isn’t allowed.

At the end of your testing, you write a report for your Environmental Engineer to review. This report details what you found and how you think problems can be corrected. You might suggest new filters, for example, or that the HVAC system be cranked open to exhaust the air more frequently.

Keeping equipment clean is of prime importance to an Air Analyst, as dirty machines could compromise results. At the end of each test, you carefully wipe down the machines and place your slides in a special bath to remove any contaminants.