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DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A HIGH-VOLUME DICHOTOMOUS SAMPLER FOR CHEMICAL SPECIATION OF COARSE AND FINE PARTICLES
Citation:
SARDAR, S. B., M. GELLER, C. SIOUTAS, AND P. A. SOLOMON. DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A HIGH-VOLUME DICHOTOMOUS SAMPLER FOR CHEMICAL SPECIATION OF COARSE AND FINE PARTICLES. JOURNAL OF AEROSOL SCIENCE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 37(11):1455-1465, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
The PM Supersites Program is an ambient monitoring program intended to address the scientific uncertainties associated with fine particulate matter. The main objectives of the Supersites Program are as follows: 1) characterize particulate matter in a way that contributes to the understanding of source-receptor relationships and supports development of State Implementation Plans (SIPs), 2) develop and test advanced measurement methods for potential use in national monitoring networks, and 3) support health and exposure studies by providing detailed chemical and physical data at one or more central monitoring sites.
The specific objectives of this task are to provide scientific review and coordination of the technical aspects of the Supersites Program. This includes coordination among all Supersites projects and other projects which support Supersites objectives, overseeing of the data management, and coordinating the communication of data analysis and modeling results to the scientific community and other stakeholders. Products include a number of peer-reviewed journal articles (approaching 200 or more), final reports from each project, a relational database than includes not only Supersites data, but most aerometric data collected in the continental US and SE Canada during the period July 2001 to August 2002, and a policy relevant findings synthesis entitled Key and Policy Relevant Findings from the Supersites Program and Related Studies. Also supporting the synthesis is a major international conference where results will be presented from air quality methods, measurements, modeling, and data analysis studies with similar objectives to the Supersites program and during the time period of the Supersites Program, i.e., the last 5-7 years.
Description:
This paper describes the development and field evaluation of a compact high-volume dichotomous sampler (HVDS) that collects coarse (PM10-2.5) and fine (PM2.5) particulate matter. In its primary configuration as tested, the sampler size-fractionates PM10 into coarse and fine fractions with a minor flow ratio of 10% (minor/total flow rate), with major and minor flow rates of 900 and 100 l min-1, respectively. Performance evaluation for concentration enrichment was conducted with a 4% minor flow ratio (40 l min-1 minor flow) as well. Tests demonstrated near ideal results at both 10% and 4% minor flow ratios, indicating enrichment to be independent of minor flow rates within the range evaluated. Reasonable agreement was found between the new sampler and collocated Partisol and MOUDI for ambient measurements. Investigation of the effect of different ambient parameters like RH and wind speed on coarse PM concentration corroborates results from earlier studies. The HVDS is an effective system to collect coarse and fine PM simultaneously, allowing for comprehensive standard chemical analyses over short sampling intervals.