Evaluation of a 25-mm disposable sampler relative to the inhalable aerosol convention.

An ideal inhalable aerosol sampler for occupational exposure monitoring would have a sampling efficiency that perfectly matches the inhalable particulate matter (IPM) criterion. Two common aerosol samplers in use worldwide are the closed-face cassette (CFC) and the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler. However, the CFC is known to under-sample, with near zero sampling efficiency for particles >30 µm, whereas the IOM, considered by many to be the "gold standard" in inhalable samplers, has been shown to over-sample particles >60 µm.

Assessment of increased sampling pump flow rates in a disposable, inhalable aerosol sampler.

A newly designed, low-cost, disposable inhalable aerosol sampler was developed to assess workers personal exposure to inhalable particles. This sampler was originally designed to operate at 10 L/min to increase sample mass and, therefore, improve analytical detection limits for filter-based methods. Computational fluid dynamics modeling revealed that sampler performance (relative to aerosol inhalability criteria) would not differ substantially at sampler flows of 2 and 10 L/min.