Atmospheric aerosols samplers

The atmospheric aerosols were filtered by a two-stage sampler that classified them into fine (< 1.2 pm) and coarse (> 1.2 pm) fractions, which were then further classified into 13 size ranges between 0.01 to 30 pm. An example of a PIXE spectrum of a coarse particle is illustrated in Figure 4.21. 

Ayers, G., and R. Gillett, Data Summaries. Quadrupod Aerosol Sampler, in Baseline Atmospheric Program 89 (S. R. Wilson and J. L. Gras, Eds.), pp. 57-59, Bureau of Meteorology in association with CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research, Melbourne, 1989. 

The ground-level air sampling was performed by filtering air through 5-/li pore size membrane filter papers at flow rates of 400-700 cu. ft./min. These membrane filters are essentially 100% efficient for the atmospheric aerosols on which airborne radionuclides are attached (8). The air is drawn through four 1-sq. ft. membrane filters which are mounted on the vertical sides of a cube-shaped air sampler (10). The air pumps... 

Vasconcelos MTSD, Taveres HMF. 1998. Atmospheric metal pollution (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in Oporto City derived from results for low-volume aerosol samplers and for the moss Sphagnum auriculatum bioindicator. Sci Total Environ 212 11 -20. 

Koutrakis P, Fasano AM, Slater JL, et al. (1989) Design of a personal annular denuder sampler to measure atmospheric aerosols and gases. Atmospheric Environment 23 1767. 

Sampling of these substances has been carried out following three approaches liquid absorbents [47], solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibres [43] and filter substrates (mostly quartz fibre filters but also PTFE membranes [1, 42, 48, 49]). When filter substrates are used, atmospheric particles are collected over 24-h periods using high-volume (dichotomous or single-filter instruments [1, 48]), medium-volume or low-volume samplers (operated to ensure collection of sufficient aerosol mass [37, 50]). Samples were always stored at low temperamres (refrigerated or frozen) to ensure sample preservation. 

Fan, X., Brook, J.R. and Mabury, S.A. (2003) Sampling atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols using an integrated organic gas and particle sampler. Environmental Science and Technology, 37, 3145-51. 

Measurements using two samplers that had different upper range particle-size cutoffs indicated that during rain and fog the airborne salt shifts from aerosol-sized particles to droplets of approximately SO-jitm diameter (upper range of fog droplets) or greater. Consequently, the determination of the total concentration of atmospheric salt would require special sampling techniques to deal with both wet and dry particles of all sizes. 

The third atmospheric technique analyses the residual liquid and/or condensate hydrocarbon traces on aerosols carried into the atmosphere by thermals (Barringer, 1981). The aerosols are created by gas bubbles which exsolve into the atmosphere from the sea in areas where microseeps create gas bubbles which reach the sea surface. The aerosols are concentrated from large volumes of air and collected by an airborne cyclone sampler carried aboard an aircraft which is flown at 30 m (100 feet) above the sea surface. Hydrocarbons adsorbed on the aerosols are measured by a flame ionisation detector which yields a total hydrocarbon signal. This system is claimed to produce... 

A personal sampling method for common organophosphate additives in hydraulic fluids in occupational air was developed with the aim of exposure assessment in working atmospheres potentially contaminated by hydraulic fluids, simultaneously collecting both the aerosols and the vapours. The described sampler combined a glass fibre filter with a Chromosorb 106 adsorbent tube. Desorption was performed with dichloromethane for GC/MS analysis (Solbu et al. 2007). 

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