Low temperature SO2 sampling by passive samplers in a Northeastern Chineseindustrialized area

Due to its reliability, simple and portable structure and low costs, the pa ssive sampler is the ideal measuring device for developing countries. In sp ite of this, there has been no reporting on its reliability in extremely lo w temperate areas such as those associated with Northeastern China. The mea suring of SO2 by passive samplers was attempted at extremely low temperatur es in the heavy industrialized area of Shenyang, China from December 25 to 28, 1995. The measurements associated with the passive sampler were accompa nied by reference analysis utilizing conventional gas bubble sampling. The calibration equation generated from the parallel tests for the passive samp ler at an extremely low temperature was 100x265xWso(2)/t (-11 approximate t o-4 degrees C, ppb). The annual average concentration of SO2, as sampled by the passive sampler, was 79ppb, 33ppb, and 24ppb in heavily polluted, inte rmediate and reference areas, respectively. The multi-regressional analysis applied to data collected during the mornings (6:00 am - 8:00 pm), afterno ons (11:00 am - 1:00 pm) and night (10:00 pm - 12:00 pm) shows that SO2 con centrations in the morning and night were the most significant variables as sociated with daily concentration averages.