A Passive Sampler for Monitoring Urban Particulate: Preliminary Results

A passive sampling device, developed for personal monitoring of airborne dust levels in industry, has been tested as a site sampler in the urban environment. The device weighs approximately 15g and the essential sampling element is a small disc of electret material (polymer carrying a permanent electric charge). During use it captures particles by electrical attraction, at a rate that depends upon their electrical mobility, but which is independent of the rate at which air flows past the sampler. It collects measurable quantities of particulate, though the sample size tends to be small and correlation with results from conventional samples has not yet been established. Samplers have been exposed to urban particulate for periods of up to seven days, without the electret suffering unacceptable loss of electric charge. It has been shown to be potentially useful for long-term monitoring, a situation in which dispensing with a power source is particularly useful. Being small, the passive sampler is easy to hide or camouflage. It has potential for multiple simultaneous site sampling and for monitoring personal environmental exposure.