Personal cascade impactor: design, evaluation and calibration

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15298668791385174· OSTI ID:5671323

Rubow, K L; Marple, V A; Olin, J; McCawley, M A

A cascade impactor has been developed that is suitable for personal sampling. The impactor can be used with four, six, or eight stages with cut points ranging from 0.5 ..mu..m to 21 ..mu..m aerodynamic diameter. Although the impactor can be operated over a fairly wide flow rate range, it is designed specifically to be operated at 2 L/min so that a personal sampler pump may be used as the air mover. The nozzles of the impactor are radial slots with six slots per stage for the first six stages. Circular nozzles arranged in a radial pattern are used for the last two stages. On each stage, the area between the nozzles is used as the impaction surface for the stage before it. This design allows for the impactor to be compact, rugged and lightweight. The impactor stages are contained in a mounting bracket that can be clipped to the lapel or pocket. Although the impactor is designed for personal use, it also can be used as a compact impactor for general sampling tasks. The particle cut-off characteristics of each stage and the interstage losses were determined using monodisperse aerosols. The particle losses were found to be low and the cut-off characteristics sharp. Thus, size distributions can be obtained as accurately as with larger cascade impactors.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• OSTI ID: 5671323
• Journal Information: Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J.; (United States) Vol. 48:6; ISSN AIHAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AIR SAMPLERS
CALIBRATION
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATION
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
SAMPLERS
SIZE