Comparison of three aerosol sampling techniques and the differences in the nitrate determined by each

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6334515

Johnson, S A; Kumar, R

Ambient aerosol samples were collected simultaneously with three different methods, one a size fractionated impactor sampler and two filter samplers. Infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the collected aerosol using attenuated total internal reflection for the impactor samples and direct transmission through ultra-thin teflon membrane filters for the filter samples. All samples were analyzed as soon as possible after collection; some were reanalyzed after being stored in closed petri dishes for up to 10 days. A major purpose of the study was to evaluate the neutralization of acidic sulfate aerosols after sample collection by the filtration techniques. No acidic sulfate was found in any of the samples collected during the field study. However, significant differences were observed in the nitrate content of the samples collected by the different samplers. Also, in several samples collected with the ATR impactor the nitrate content decreased upon storage. In some cases the nitrate absorbance bands diminished to zero; in other cases the nitrate initially decreased and then remained stable; in yet another case, a high level of nitrate persisted over several days. The results indicate that two different types of nitrate compounds were present in the samples, one more ''volatile'' than the other, although the infrared spectra were consistent with both of them being ammonium nitrate.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6334515
• Report Number(s): CONF-8705149-1; ON: DE87011456
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010800 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200202 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Noxious Gas & Particulate Emissions
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACIDIFICATION
AEROSOLS
AIR FILTERS
AMMONIA
CASCADE IMPACTORS
COLLOIDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISPERSIONS
EQUIPMENT
FILTERS
FLUE GAS
GASEOUS WASTES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
REMOVAL
SAMPLING
SIZE
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WASTES