Application of passive diffusion tubes to short-term indoor and personal exposure measurement of NO2

Palmes-type passive diffusion tubes were shown to be as accurate in the mea surement of indoor NO2 during short-term (2- and 3-d) exposures as during 1 -week exposures. The statistical limit of detection for cumulative NO2 in 2 - and 3-d exposure was 150 (nL L(-1)h). The mean coefficient of variation f or duplicate 2- and 3-d exposures was < 13%. A pilot study measuring person al, indoor (living room) and outdoor (just outside the home) NO2 over 3 d f or 8 volunteers demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of using passi ve diffusion tubes for short-term personal exposure measurements, and confi rmed the necessity of obtaining actual exposure profiles for a specific sub population. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.