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INDIVIDUAL PARTICLE ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL SAMPLES FROM THE 1998 BALTIMORE PARTICULATE MATTER STUDY
Citation:
Conner, T L. AND R W. Williams. INDIVIDUAL PARTICLE ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL SAMPLES FROM THE 1998 BALTIMORE PARTICULATE MATTER STUDY. Presented at Atmospheric Sciences, Exposure and Fourth Colloquium on PM and Human Health, Pittsburgh, PA, March 31-April 4, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
The NERL SEM/EDX facility was established to provide a state-of-the-art resource for individual particle analysis. Specific goals of the laboratory are as follows: 1) Provide chemical, morphological, and size characterization of particles in support of ambient air characterization studies, source apportionment, exposure and health studies, and other particulate matter research.; 2) Develop analytical capabilities to support research objectives; 3) Communicate results to clients and the scientific community.
Description:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recently conducted the 1998 Baltimore Particulate Matter (PM) Epidemiology-Exposure Study of the Elderly. The primary goal of that study was to establish the relationship between outdoor PM concentrations and actual human PM exposures within a susceptible (elderly) sub-population. The study design included PM2.5 personal exposure samples obtained from elderly (65+ years of age) residents of an eighteen story retirement facility near Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, the personal exposure sampling devices were used to obtain PM2.5 samples at fixed locations within the personal monitoring subjects' apartments. Apartment residence and personal samples collected on Teflon fiber filters were examined using scanning electron microscopy with individual-particle X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) to provide a qualitative assessment of the chemical and physical characteristics of geological and trace element particles collected within these micro-environments at the retirement facility. Qualitative differences among the selected personal and apartment residence samples were observed. Differences between the paired personal and apartment samples indicate the localized nature of certain particle types.
This work has been funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under contract #68-D5-0040 to the Research Triangle Institute and under contract #68-D5-0049 to ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc. It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.