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COLLECTION EFFICIENCY OF THE HIGH VOLUME SMALL SURFACE SAMPLER ON WORN CARPETS
Citation:
Svendsen, E., P. Thorne, S. Reynolds, P. O'Shaughnessy, A. Quinones, D. Zimmerman, AND M. E. Metwally. COLLECTION EFFICIENCY OF THE HIGH VOLUME SMALL SURFACE SAMPLER ON WORN CARPETS. Presented at American Industrial Hygiene Assoc, San Diego, CA, June 1-6, 2001.
Description:
Collection Efficiency of the High Volume Small Surface Sampler on Worn Carpets
Erik R. Svendsen*?, Peter S. Thorne*, Stephen J. Reynolds*?, Patrick T. O'Shaughnessy*, Alba Quinones*, Dale Zimmerman*, and Nervana Metwali*
*University of Iowa College of Public Health
Department of Occupational & Environmental Health
Iowa City, IA
USA
?Currently at United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Human Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
Human Studies Division- Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch
Research Triangle Park, NC
USA
?Currently at Colorado State University
Department of Environmental Health
Fort Collins, CO
USA
Introduction: The High Volume Small Surface Sampler (HVS3) is a dust-sampling instrument that allows for set flow and back-pressure during sampling, increasing sampling precision. Its collection efficiency with house-dust and allergen sampling has been previously evaluated with new carpets. However, most carpets in homes exhibit some level of wear; carpets in low-income housing may have extreme wear. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of carpet wear on HVS3 collection efficiency of dust and dust allergen (dust-mite and endotoxin).
Methods: A factorial study was designed and performed. Two carpet types (cut-pile and closed-loop), two deposition loads (high: 38.1 g/m2 and low: 13.6 g/m2), two sampling environments (low humidity: 30% and high humidity: 75%), and three levels of wear (low, medium, and high) were studied in triplicate (N=72). Dust dry aerosol was allowed to settle evenly onto test-carpets and reference filters. Sampling was done under controlled environmental conditions inside a chamber. Gravimetric (dust), immunoassay (Der p1), and bioassay (endotoxin) analysis of dust from reference filters and recovered samples were performed on sieved dust to calculate collection efficiency.
Results: Excellent collection efficiency was observed (mean=84.03%, CV=0.23). Low sampling humidity had statistically significantly greater collection efficiency than high, and was different between carpet types (closed-loop less effected). Collection efficiency of dust was lower in both the high and low carpet wear-levels than in the middle, though not statistically significantly. Collection efficiency of Der p1 and proportional recovery of endotoxin were only statistically significantly different between dust deposition levels (high exhibited greater).
Conclusions: The design of the HVS3 accounted for the impact of carpet wear on collection efficiency of dust and allergen. That was not the case for sampling humidity with total dust or deposition load with allergen.
Supported by NIEHS P30 ES05605-11. This abstract does not necessarily represent EPA policy.