Measurement of personal exposure to PM10 in the non-workplace environment using passive sampling techniques

This study investigated the use of a passive personal sampler originally developed for use in the workplace, to provide measures of long-term average exposure to particulates. This simple device which collects dust by electrostatic capture on to an electret (polypropylene) disc, is small, lightweight, unobtrusive, requires no power supply or pump and no operator attention during the collection period. The rate at which this sampler collects particles is related to their electrical mobility, which can vary according to their size and charge. Side-by-side measurements using the passive sampler and a pumped “”conventional”” PM10 samplers were made in various indoor and outdoor microenvironments. In each of the microenvironments, there was evidence of a relationship between the exposure of the sampler and the mass collected by the sampler although the rate of collection of particles was significantly different, particularly between outdoor and indoor aerosols. In the outdoor environments, the masses collected were quite reasonable, the lowest mass collected being of the order of 150 μg. For indoor aerosols however, the collection rate was too low to be of practical value. Several approaches are suggested which could overcome these limitations including improved sampler and study designs. One important possibility is to combine use of the device with EM image analysis methods. Potentially this could provide a method to assess exposure to particle number and surface area. “”