Performance comparison of three samplers of suspended airborne particulate matter

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1982.10465411· OSTI ID:5444235

Solomon, P ^[1]; Derrick, M; Moyers, J; Hyde, P

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1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

The University of Arizona and the Pima County Air Pollution Control District conducted a comparison study of the following aerosol samplers: a standard high-volume sampler, a high-volume sampler fitted with a size selective inlet, and a dichotomous virtual impactor. Over sixty samples were collected with the colocated samplers during the first six months of 1981. The concentration (..mu..g/m/sup 3/) of suspended particulate matter and of sulfate was determined for all samples, while the concentration of four lithophilic elements (Ca, Fe, Mg, and K) was determined on one third of the samples. Well-defined linear relationships for suspended particulate matter and sulfate were found to exist between each of the three sample collection methods over the concentration range encountered in this study. For these samples, there were significant differences in the particulate mass and large particle lithophilic element concentrations collected by each device. However, sulfate values obtained from the three samplers were in excellent agreement with each other. This suggests that the inlet collection efficiency for large particles differs significantly for these three sampling devices. Since the size selective inlet and the dichotomous virtual impactor samplers are each designed for collection of inhalable particles (particles of 15 ..mu..m aerodynamic diameter and smaller), they would have been expected to measure approximately equivalent particle mass concentrations. Thus, these differences are important to those interested in selecting a method for measuring airborne particle mass concentrations.

• OSTI ID: 5444235
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 32:4; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOL MONITORING
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CALCIUM
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
IRON
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MAGNESIUM
METALS
MONITORING
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POTASSIUM
SAMPLERS
SIZE
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS