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Evaluation of performance reference compounds in polyethylene-based passive air samplers.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • Michael E. Bartkow
  • Kevin C. Jones
  • Karen E. Kennedy
  • Neil Holling
  • Darryl W. Hawker
  • Jochen F. Muller
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>11/2006
<mark>Journal</mark>Environmental Pollution
Issue number2
Volume144
Number of pages6
Pages (from-to)365-370
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Polyethylene-based passive air samplers (PSDs) were loaded with performance reference compounds (PRCs) and deployed in a wind tunnel to examine the effects of wind speed on sampler performance. PRCs could be loaded reproducibly into PSDs, with coefficients of variation only exceeding 20% for the more volatile compounds. When PSDs were exposed to low (0.5–1.5 m s−1) and high (3.5–4.5 m s−1) wind speeds, PRC loss rate constants generally increased with increasing wind speed and decreased with increasing sampler/air partition coefficients. PSD-based air concentrations calculated using PRC loss rate constants and sampler/air partition coefficients and air concentrations measured using active samplers compared closely. PRCs can be used to account for the effect of differences in wind speeds on sampler performance and measure air concentrations with reasonable accuracy. Performance reference compounds (or depuration compounds) can be used to correct the influence of wind speed on sampler performance.