Post on 07-Jul-2018
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AIR SAMPLING
Objective
Air is the most Important of the vital substances required for life. Human being can survive
for up a month without food, up to one week without water, but deprived air, they can only
survive no longer than a couple of minutes. We breathe between 1 and !" m ! of air daily and
any to#ins present are also inhaled. $lean air is therefore a necessity for human life.
%he air required for sustaining life is contained in the lowest section of the
atmosphere and it is this air at ground level that we will be mainly concerned with here. %he
troposphere, located below about 1 km contains the air that we breathe and it is the location
of weather process. %he lowest of 1 km of the atmosphere, the so&called boundary layer , is
where most of the air pollution takes place.
In fact, most chemicals can be found in the atmosphere' even a radioactive element
such as radon is found in the atmosphere, albeit at a minuscule concentration of ( ) 1 &1*+. In
in addition to gases, the atmosphere also contains varying concentrations of dust particlesoriginating from sea spray, wind&blown desert dusts, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, etc.
Another section of the atmosphere of interest to environmentalists is the stratosphere. %hey
so&called o one layer, which prevents harmful - &rays from reaching the earth/s surface, is
located in the stratosphere.
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Air Sampling Methodologies
%here are no federal government requirements for monitoring nor are there clearly defined
methodologies. Although there have been a few attempts by professional organi ation,
universities and private firms to provide guidelines, the most readily accepted guidelines have been set forth by the American $onference of 0overnment Industrial Hygienists A$0IH2.
Its latest publication, Bioaerosols: Assessment and Controls , is frequently referenced herein.
Sampling Apparatus and Methods
Instruments are now available for all the criteria pollutants as well as for many volatile
organic compounds. However, due to their high cost, these instruments may not be
available in many teaching laboratories. 3eliable measurement of air pollutants can be
made using relatively ine#pensive methods involving the sampling of air pollution
followed by chemical analysis in the laboratory. 4efore the advent of instrumental
techniques, these methods were widely used by municipal monitoring stations and some
are still recognised by the -5 67A as reference methods. 3eference methods are those
methods against which all other methods, including in some cases instrumental methods,
are tested. 8ethods, which are found to give results in agreement with the referencemethods are designated equivalent methods. 5amplers are classed as active or passive.
Active sampler require the use of a sampling pump.
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Escort EL! Sampling Pump
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7rocedure9
1. $heck pump inlet filter' replace if heavily loaded.
!. %urn :; the pump and allow it to reach its flow rate setting.
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>. Allow the pump to operate for 1 to 1" minutes at !." =78. %o check for leaks,
temporarily block the pump inlet' . ! =78 or less should be displayed. If not,
checks the inlet filter cover and o&ring for correct assembly.
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". =eave the pump set for !." =78 and turn :?? the pump.
(. $onnect a primary calibration standard to the pump.
@. %urn :; the pump' as the pump goes through its self&check sequence, press and hold
the :; :?? and 3-; H:=B switches simultaneously until the display reads $A=.
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*. Immediately release both buttons.
;:%69 ?ailure to release both buttons will turn :?? the pump.• %he display will show $A= and a countdown sequence of numbers from C
through ' thereafter, it will alternately display $A= and !." =78.
C. :perate the calibration standard and obtain at least si# readings which are very close
to one another.
1 . -se the D and E switch buttons to step the pump display up or down until it agrees
e#actly with the average of the si# readings.
11. %urn :?? the pump' the 6=? sensor is now calibrated.
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1!. 3epeat monthly or every ! hours of use.1
providing at least 1 F W$ is placed in line between the pump and the calibrator. ?ailure to
use such an isolation technique can cause a calibration inaccuracy on the order of !+ and is
not recommended.
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"e#on $io%Pump Plus
%he Gefon 4io&7ump 7lus is the smallest and lightest portable battery powered IA
sampling pump available. It provides the simplest and most convenient way to sample with
Air&:&$ell and ia&$ell cassettes at a flow rate of 1"=78.
$A=I43A%I:;
It is recommended that the 4io&7ump 7lus be calibrated and verified at least once every day
of use.
A flow indicator for Air&:&$ell cassettes and ia&$ell Air&:&$ell $5I cassettes is
supplied with the pump for ease of calibration. Jou may also calibrate your pump using the
optional 4io&7ump %5I 7rimary $alibrator. %hese are the only approved calibrators that are
specially designed to work with low backpressure impeller fan type pumps.
&ARNING'
Bo ;:% calibrate the pump using any other devices. Boing so will yield inaccurate readingsdue to the backpressure created by the calibrators. $alibrators known by Gefon to cause
theses inaccuracies include, but are not limited to9
4ios Brycal, 4ios Befender, 0ilian 0ilibrator, 0ilian $hallenger, or standard mini4-$K
calibrators.
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1. 3ubber 0rommet $assette Attachment
!. =$B Bisplay
. 5%A3% 5%:7 4utton
". 7:W63 4utton
(. -7 B:W; Arrows
@. L=ow 4atteryM =ight
*. 56% 4utton
C. -I$K 5A87=6 4utton
1 . L$hargingM Indicator =ight
11. %ripod 8ounting %hreads, 1 >M on bottom2
1!. 4attery $ompartment on bottom2
1
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AdOusting the $alibration9
1. 7ress the 7:W63 button to turn the pump on.
!. -sing the arrows, select $A=I43A%6 4I:&7-87.
. 7ress the 56% button and the unit will start running at a low speed.
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". -se the arrows to adOust the flow rate until 1"=78 is shown on the flow indicator or
bubble tube. ;ote9 When setting calibration, the flow starts out very low. $ontinue to
press the up arrow until 1"=78 is reached. %his may take as many as 1" pushes of the button.
(. 7ress the set key to save the calibration. %he pump will stop automatically.
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Note 9 %o check the pump calibration you must use the Lverify calibrationM setting. -sing the
$alibrate 4io&7ump mode will erase the previous flow setting from memory and revert to a
low speed setting.
erifying the $alibration9
1. 7ress the 7:W63 button to turn the pump on.
!. -se the arrow buttons to select 63I?J $A=I43A%I:;.
. 7ress the 56% or 5%A3% button to begin.
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Taking Samples Using Single Sampling Mode :
1. 7lace the pump in the desired location.
!. 7lace cassette on the rubber grommet on top of the pump so that the cassette fitssnugly.
. -sing the arrows, select L5I;0=6 5A87=I;0 8:B6M
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". 7ress 56%.
(. -sing the arrows, enter the sample run time.
@. 7ress 56%.
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*. 7ress 5%A3% to begin sampling. :nce completed, the unit will beep, the display will
show L5A87=6 $:87=6%6M and the red sample complete light will turn on.
3emove cassette from pump by gently pulling upward.
C. 5eal cassette, document the sample run time and send to laboratory for analysis.
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Taking Sampling Using the Quick Sample Mode :
1. 7lace the pump in the desired location.!. 7lace cassette on the rubber grommet on top of the pump so that the cassette fits
snugly.. 7ress the L -I$K 5A87=6M button. %he display should read L uick 5ampleM, 1
minute.". $ontinue to press the L -I$K 5A87=6M button to change the sampling time from 1,
!, " and 1 minutes.(. :nce the correct number of minutes is displayed, press L5%A3%M to begin sampling.@. :nce completed, the unit will beep, the display will show L5A87=6 $:87=6%6M
and the yellow sample complete light will turn on. 3emove cassette from pump by
gently pulling upward. 5eal cassette, document the sample run time and send to
laboratory for analysis.
Taking Samples Using Sequential Sampling Mode :
1. 5etup the pump as described in steps 1&< for single sampling mode.!. -sing the arrows, select L56 -6;%IA= 5A87=I;0 8:B6M, and then press 56%.. -sing the arrows, select the $J$=6 3-; %I86 adOustable in seconds2, then press
56%.". -sing the arrows, select the $J$=6 :?? %I86 adOustable in seconds2, then press
56%.(. 7ress 5%A3% to begin sampling. :nce completed, the unit will beep, the display will
show L5A87=6 $:87=6%6M and the yellow sample complete light will turn on.
3emove cassette from pump by gently pulling upward.@. 5eal cassette, document the sample run time and send to laboratory for analysis.*.
Suggestion (Sampling Strateg)*
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%he sampling strategy is subOect to the investigator/s evaluation of each specific situation.
%here are a few basic guides to aid the investigator, but they are not hard and fast rules.
$areful thought and planning are paramount.
When and Where to Sample
According to the A$0IH, to anticipate high and low e#posures, minimum sampling efforts
should include a least one, preferable three, and sample areas in each of following areas9
• An anticipated high e#posure area e.g., an area identified as central to health
complaints2• An anticipated low e#posure area e.g., an area identified as confirmed to have
minimum health complaints2• :utdoors near air intakes for the building e.g., on the roof or along the side of the
building where fresh air is taken to supply the indoor area s2 to be sampled2
:ther sample sites that should be included are9
• :utdoors near potential sources of bioaerosols that may enter a building e.g., fresh
air entry from open or frequently used doors and windows downwind from a creek
bed or waste container2• :utdoors high above grade and away from potential bioaerosol sources e.g.,
background levels not affected by the immediate building environment2
When accessing fungal growth contributions from a ventilation system, locate a side near one
of the air diffusers associated with the air handling unit in question. %hen take samples at
different times during the unit/s cycle. $onsider the following9
• After the air handling unit has been turned off generally occurring over a weekend2,
preferably prior to restart after a weekend of downtime.• After the air handling unit has been turned on, restarted after a weekend.• Buring mechanical agitation of the ductwork, preferably when a space is unoccupied
and in a fashion to stimulate normal maintenance activities or other normal
disturbances that might occur to the duct work.
RE!EREN+ES,
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1. 7ractical 6nvironmental Analysis, 5econd 6dition, 8iroslav 3adoOevic P ladimir ;.
4ashkin.!. Indoor Air uality %he =atest 5ampling and Analytical 8ethods, 5econd 6dition,
Kathleen Hess&Kosa.
. Indoor Air uality 5ampling 8ethodologies, Kathleen Hess&Kosa.". http9 www. efon.com analytical download 6scort&6=?&?lyer.pdf
http://www.zefon.com/analytical/download/Escort-ELF-Flyer.pdfhttp://www.zefon.com/analytical/download/Escort-ELF-Flyer.pdf