Particulate contaminants, sample collection

The solubility of chlordecone in water is low (1--3 mg/L) and as with mirex, contamination is more likely to be associated with the particulate matter in the water rather than the water itself. Chlordecone was detected primarily in water samples collected in and around the production facility site in Hopewell, Virginia, and in adjacent waters of the James River estuary. Effluent from the Life Sciences Products Company facility contained 0.1 —1.0 mg/L (ppm) chlordecone, while water in holding ponds at the site contained 2--3 mg/L (ppm) chlordecone (Epstein 1978). Levels of chlordecone in river water in August 1975 ranged from not detectable (<50 ng/L [ppt]) in the York River and Swift Creek areas, to levels of 1--4 pg/L (ppb) in Bailey Creek which received direct effluent discharges from the Hopewell Sewage Treatment Plant. Water concentrations of up to 0.3 p g/L (ppb) were detected in the James River at the mouth of Bailey Creek and in the Appomattox... 

Hoffman G. L. Duce, R. A. Copper Contamination of Atmospheric Particulate Samples Collected with Gelman Hurricane Samples, Environ. Sci, Technol., 1971, 5, 1134. 

Kamiya et al. [83] evaluated particulate contamination in 199 samples of admixed and un-admixed parenteral nutrition solution bags from 10 hospitals in Japan. Seven samples were used as controls since they had not been mixed with ampoules or vials (un-admixed samples). Size and number of particles were measured using a particle counter, and the identification of elements was carried out by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersion spectroscopy. The authors collected the residual volume of the samples (10-60 mL) after their usage. The results are presented in Table 40. 

PAHs in soil may partition into soil organic matter (SOM) or adsorb on soil minerals. The sorptive properties of SOM fractions for organic contaminants in soil play an important role on the transportation of PAHs in soil. Xiao et al. (2004) has reported that soil/sediment organic matter can be fractionated into four fractions with a combined wet chemical procedure and that kerogen and black carbon (BC) are major SOM components in soil/sediment samples collected from the industrialized suburban areas of Guangzhou, China. Phenanthrene and naphthalene were used as the sorbates to study PAH s sorption isotherms on four original and four Soxhlet-extracted soil/sediment samples, 15 isolated SOM fractions, and a char as the sorbents. The sorption isotherms of phenanthrene and naphthalene on all the sorbents were variously nonlinear. The particulate kerogen and black carbon (KB) fractions... 

Table I lists several XRD analytical methods recently developed in the NIOSH laboratories. For each analyte, the analytical range, detection limit and analytical precision are listed. The method numbers refer to the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (2.). As indicated in the table, there are several NIOSH methods available for free silica analysis. Method No, P CAM 109 incorporates the internal standard approach as developed by Bumsted (3.), The other two methods S-315 and P CAM 259 are based on the substrate standard method. The major difference between the two is the direct sampling on silver membrane filters (S-315). This paper will address the various methods of quantitation, sample collection and procedures for matrix absorption corrections that have been used in this laboratory for the analysis of crystalline particulate contaminants in the workplace.

In addition, the use of sippers, transfer tubing, and injectors (manual or otherwise) is not practical or reliable enough for these data collection rates. The complex equipment contains numerous moving parts that can malfunction and cause sampling errors. In addition, these systems are prone to dilution-related errors, contamination, sample carryover, leaks, and blockage by air bubbles and particulate matter. 

In the Slovak study investigating the average lead concentrations in the placental tissue (200 samples) collected from four regions of different environmental pollutants and traffic density the levels in range 0.0094-0.0324 mg/kg were found. This study revealed that placental contamination with lead depended on the traffic-related environmental pollution rather than the industrial sources. Among the observed contaminated structures in the placental tissue, the syncytiotrophoblast was the most frequent site for lead (and nickel) particulate deposits. Additionally, a transport of the lead particles from basal plate to chorionic plate was found (Reichrtova et al., 1998a,b). 

It is interesting that four St. Clair River samples appear to be considerably above the normal range of data scatter while one Niagara River sample appears to be well below the scatter. These results may provide information on the time required to reach chemical equilibrium between the dissolved and particulates fractions. The fou r St. Clair River samples were collected at Port Lambton which is about 35 km and 10 hr travel time for the water below the major chemical sources at Sarnia. Much of the contaminants enter the St. Clair River in the particulate phase ( puddles of waste material have been found in the river. Environment Canada and Cntario Ministry of the Environment 1986) and may not have had sufficient time to reach equilibrium with the dissolved phase by the time the water reaches Port Lambton. Even higher partition coefficients have been observed in samples collected in industrial plumes near... 

Samples were collected every nine days for gaseous and particulate contaminants in the atmosphere and rain collections were integrated over the same time period (77, 20, 22). In the first year of study trace metal samples at SC... 

The patch test method of monitoring the degree of particulate contamination in liquids is undertaken by observing the discoloration of the surface of a 5 pm filter membrane, through which a standard volume of liquid has passed. PVC bottles (120 ml) are used to collect the sample, and this is then processed via a stainless steel funnel filter holder and flask under vacuum. Care is needed in processing as rinsing solvents must themselves be filtered to avoid cross-contamination. Care is also needed to prepare the equipment for re-use. 

For engine driven units, a sample of the fuel supply in the day tank should be taken It should be analyzed for indications of water or sediment contamination. The sample should be allowed to stabilize for 24 hours to determine content. Entrained water will collect at the bottom of the sample container and hydrocarbon fluids will collect on top of it. Particulates will settle to the bottom. 

Airborne inorganic acids exist in the workplace environment as both vapors and particulates. To monitor for the common inorganic acids, a single, non-liquid sampling device to collect both vaporous and aerosol contaminants quantitatively, and an analytical method to determine these acids in a single sample was desired. 

A field blank is similar to a method blank, but it has been exposed to the site of sampling. For example, to analyze particulates in air, a certain volume of air could be sucked through a filter, which is then dissolved and analyzed. A field blank would be a filter carried to the collection site in the same package with the collection filters. The filter for the blank would be taken out of its package in the field and placed in the same kind of sealed container used for collection filters. The difference between the blank and the collection filters is that air was not sucked through the blank filter. Volatile organic compounds encountered during transportation or in the field are conceivable contaminants of a field blank. 

Stack Gas Analysis. The measured concentrations of mercury in the stack gas at the sampling point, including both the filter particulates and volatile mercury, are presented in Table I. Tests 15 and 18 were contaminated and should not be considered. Data from the fourth amalgamator and the potassium permanganate backup solution showed that the standard sampling train had a collection efficiency in excess of 98% of the mercury entering the probe. 

While collecting and using this particulate matter to study the textile as a whole may be useful, it cannot totally replace direct sampling because particulate cannot be associated directly with particular areas of the textile. It is also possible that the particulate is contaminated with material that is not from the textile. Therefore, when studying coloration, selective sampling of particular colors or areas with different chemical signatures will still need to be done. Thereby, materials of different composition or color are kept separated and each can be analyzed by itself. 

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