Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Development of a Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS)
EPA Grant Number: R824834C009Subproject: this is subproject number 009 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R824834
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Southern California Children's Environmental Health Center
Center Director: McConnell, Rob Scot
Title: Development of a Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS)
Investigators: Sioutas, Constantinos
Institution: University of Southern California
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 1, 2000 through December 31, 2001
RFA: Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (NUATRC) (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Congressionally Mandated Center , Urban Air Toxics , Targeted Research
Objective:
The purpose of this project was to develop a personal sampler for particulate matter (PM) that will allow separation of airborne particles by size, and analyses of the particles for their toxic metal content. The sampler will operate with the help of a high efficiency personal air pump that will be developed by SKC, Inc., via an independent contract with the NUATRC. The development of the personal sampler and the pump will be closely coordinated. One sampler unit will be developed as part of this grant.
The Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS) is a miniaturized cascade impactor, consisting of four impaction stages, followed by an after-filter. Particles will be separated in the following aerodynamic particle diameter ranges: < 0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-1.0, 1.0-2.5, and 2.5-10 µm. Particles in the size range of 0.25-10 µm will be accelerated in rectangular-shaped nozzles and collected on 25-mm filter substrates made of quartz (Pallflex Corp., Putnam, CT). Efforts will be made to decrease the filter size to 12 mm, as this will further reduce the overall filter surface area and thus the required liquid volume for chemical extraction and analysis. The quartz filter surface area eliminates particle bounce and allows sufficient material to be collected to conduct gravimetric analyses as well as analyses of the toxic metals inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inorganic ions by ion chromatography (IC) techniques.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
This study was developed in response to NUATRC RFA 99-01, "Development of New Generation Personal Monitors for Fine Particulate Matter and its Metal Content." It was awarded to the University of Southern California (USC) in October 2000, to develop a particulate matter personal sampler that will provide continuous 24-hour sampling, separate particles by size, and be unobtrusive, inexpensive, and easy to use.
During this period of the study, the Investigators provided a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) plan in accordance with the Center's and Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) QA/QC guidelines.
The basic design and operating parameters of the PCIS were determined. The housing of the PCIS, including all four impaction plates, was constructed. The preliminary laboratory evaluation of the impaction stages at 0.25 and 0.50 µm was completed. In addition, progress was made on the multi-elemental analysis of PM by ICPS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry).
Supplemental Keywords:
urban, air pollution, sampling, monitoring, exposure., RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Air, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Air Pollution, particulate matter, air toxics, Health Risk Assessment, Air Pollution Effects, Chemicals, Risk Assessments, Biochemistry, Environmental Monitoring, health effects, urban air quality, urban air, personal exposure, air pollutants, human health effects, air sampling pump, air sampling, human exposure, lung inflamation, particulate exposure, urban air pollution, personal cascade impact sampler, human health, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), airborne urban contaminants, biomarker, human health riskProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R824834 Southern California Children's Environmental Health Center Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R824834C001 Air Toxics Exposures Among Teenagers in New York City and Los Angeles - A Columbia-Harvard Study (TEACH)
R824834C002 Cardiopulmonary Response to Particulate Exposure
R824834C003 VOC Exposure in an Industry Impacted Community
R824834C004 A Study of Personal Exposure to Air Toxics Among a Subset of the Residential U.S. Population (VOC Project)
R824834C005 Methods Development Project for a Study of Personal Exposures to Toxic Air Pollutants
R824834C006 Relationship Between Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Air (RIOPA)
R824834C007 Development of the "Leland Legacy" Air Sampling Pump
R824834C008 Source Apportionment of Indoor Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Urban Residences
R824834C009 Development of a Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS)
R824834C010 Testing the Metals Hypothesis in Spokane
R828678C001 Air Toxics Exposures Among Teenagers in New York City and Los Angeles—A Columbia-Harvard Study (TEACH)
R828678C002 Cardiopulmonary Effects of Metal-Containing Particulate Exposure
R828678C003 VOC Exposure in an Industry Impacted Community
R828678C004 A Study of Personal Exposure to Air Toxics Among a Subset of the Residential U.S. Population (VOC Project)
R828678C005 Oxygenated Urban Air Toxics and Asthma Variability in Middle School Children: A Panel Study (ATAC–Air Toxics and Asthma in Children)
R828678C006 Relationship between Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Air (RIOPA). Part II: Analyses of Concentrations of Particulate Matter Species
R828678C007 Development of the “Leland Legacy” Air Sampling Pump
R828678C008 Source Apportionment of Indoor PAHs in Urban Residences 98-03B
R828678C009 Development of a Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS)
R828678C010 Testing the Metals Hypothesis in Spokane
R828678C011 A Pilot Geospatial Analysis of Exposure to Air Pollutants (with Special Attention to Air Toxics) and Hospital Admissions in Harris County, Texas
R828678C012 Impact of Exposure to Urban Air Toxics on Asthma Utilization for the Pediatric Medicaid Population in Dearborn, Michigan
R828678C013 Field Validation of the Sioutas Sampler and Leland Legacy Pump – Joint Project with EPA’s Environmental Technology Validation Program (ETV)
R828678C014 Performance Evaluation of the 3M Charcoal Vapor Monitor for Monitor Low Ambient Concentrations of VOCs
R828678C015 RIOPA Database Development
R828678C016 Contributions of Outdoor PM Sources to Indoor and Personal Exposures: Analysis of PM Species Concentrations” Focused on the PM Speciation and Apportioning of Sources
R828678C017 The Short and Long-Term Respiratory Effects of Exposure to PAHs from Traffic in a Cohort of Asthmatic Children
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.