AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Miniature Electrostatic Precipitator for Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Aerosol Analysis
JAY RUTHERFORD, Charles Corredor, Byron Ockerman, Igor Novosselov, Jonathan Posner, University of Washington
Abstract Number: 691 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract The inhalation of particulate matter (PM) is a significant health risk that can reduce life expectancy due to increased cardio-pulmonary disease as well as exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma. PM originates from natural sources, as well as man-made sources such as combustion engines, cigarettes, and agricultural fires. There are a wide range of sampling and chemical analysis tools available for stationary (e.g. roadside, building top, etc.) PM evaluation. Personal PM monitoring devices typically do not provide options for particle chemical analysis, which results in a gap of knowledge of detailed PM exposure to individuals and how this relates to their health. We have developed a wearable miniaturized electrostatic precipitator that can collect PM for subsequent chemical analysis. The personal sampler collects particles on a sampling plate and draws a sampling flow of 1 L/min. In this poster, we will describe the personal electrostatic particle collector and share PM chemical analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We collected combustion generated PM from wood smoke, diesel soot, and cigarette smoke and compared the personal sampling results with results from Teflon filters housed in Harvard School of Public Health Personal Exposure Monitors designed to capture PM with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5µm. Samples were analyzed for the sixteen US EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and show equivalent results can be obtained with the personal electrostatic sampling device compared to a standard Teflon filter approach. The personal sampler coupled with GC-MS is sufficiently sensitive to provide PM PAH analysis for single day exposures. The electrostatic sampling device will ultimately enable epidemiological studies of PM exposure and chemical analysis that can relate individual exposure to health outcomes.