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DEVELOPMENT OF A PORTABLE DEVICE TO COLLECT SULFURIC ACID AEROSOL
Citation:
Miller, H., D. Mason, AND W. Barrett. DEVELOPMENT OF A PORTABLE DEVICE TO COLLECT SULFURIC ACID AEROSOL. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-80/087.
Description:
A quantitative, interference-free method for collecting sulfuric acid aerosol on a filter was developed and field tested. Since previous research found that severe losses of sulfuric aicd were caused by ammonia, ambient particulate material, and other interferents, a method was needed that converts sulfuric acid to a stable derivative for subsequent analysis. Methods evaluated for direct fixation of sulfuric acid aerosol were not found to be selective. Therefore, a sampling method was investigated that uses a combination of selective volatilization of the sulfuric acid, prefiltration of particulate interferents, and derivatization of the vaporized acid on an alkali-impregnated filter. Research on the volatilization, prefiltration, and derivatization technique, and the development and field evaluation of a prototype sampler based on this technique are described.