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Environ Sci Technol

Title:		Field testing a flow-through sampler for semivolatile organic compounds in air
Author(s):		Xiao H; Hung H; Harner T; Lei YD; Wania F;
Address:		"Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4"
Journal Title:		Environ Sci Technol
Year:		2008
Volume:		42
Issue:		8
Page Number:		2970 - 2975
DOI:		10.1021/es702741b
ISSN/ISBN:		0013-936X (Print) 0013-936X (Linking)
Abstract:		"Even without access to the electrical grid, a flow-through sampler (FTS) can collect gaseous and particle-bound semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) from large volumes of air by turning into the wind and having the wind blow through a porous sampling medium. To test its performance under field conditions, a FTS and a traditional pumped high volume air sampler, both using polyurethane foam (PUF) as sampling medium, were codeployed at the campus of the University of Toronto Scarborough from August 2006 to June 2007. Quantitative relationships between the wind speed outside the sampler and after passage through the PUF were established and allow the accurate estimation of sampling volumes under conditions of low and high wind speed. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified in the samples taken by both air samplers. Separate analysis of seven PUF disks arranged sequentially within the FTS, confirm that even relatively volatile SOCs do not experience serious break-through. Theoretical plate number analysis of the break-through curves yields an understanding of the effect of temperature and wind speed on FTS sampling efficiency, and reveals different behavior of gaseous and particle-bound-compounds on the PUF. Air concentrations of PCBs and PAHs obtained with the FTS compare favorably with those obtained by averaging the concentrations of several 24 h active high volume samples taken during the same time period"
Keywords:		Air Pollutants/*analysis Environmental Monitoring/*instrumentation Organic Chemicals/*analysis Reproducibility of Results Volatilization Wind;
Notes:		"MedlineXiao, Hang Hung, Hayley Harner, Tom Lei, Ying D Wania, Frank eng Evaluation Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2008/05/24 Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Apr 15; 42(8):2970-5. doi: 10.1021/es702741b"