AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Aspiration Efficiency Evaluation of Two Specific Personal Samplers
YUE ZHOU, Hammad Irshad, Chuen-Jinn Tsai, Shao-Ming Hung, Bean Chen, Yung-Sung Cheng, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute
Abstract Number: 196 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract Personal aerosol samplers are used to estimate the exposure of workers to airborne particles in workplaces. The most widely used personal sampler is the Institute Occupational Medicine (IOM) sampler which collects particles that inhaled into human respiratory system. To assess worker exposure to bio-aerosols or nano-particles, special personal samplers are needed. For bioaerosol sampling application, a two-stage cyclone personal sampler with microcentrifuge tube and regular centrifuge tube was developed by NIOSH. For nano-aerosols, a prototype sampler was also developed by National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. Laboratory tests have been performed for collection efficiency during development of these samplers. Since personal samplers are used in workplaces, the sampler’s aspiration efficiency should also be evaluated. This study presents the aspiration efficiencies of these two specific samplers at different wind speeds and wind directions. A full size mannequin was sued in our wind tunnel facility. Samplers were mounted in front, side, and back of the mannequin. The operation wind speeds were 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m/s. Results were also compared with the aspiration efficiency of the IOM and the inhalable convention curve. At the wind speed of 0.5 m/s which is in most cases of indoor workplaces, the direction-averaged aspiration efficiencies agreed with the inhalable convention curve, although there is a large variability. When wind speed increased, the aspiration efficiency of the prototype sampler was below the inhalation convention curve for small particles, because of low efficiency of the sample located at the back of mannequin.