SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR TESTING PERSONAL INHALABLE AEROSOL SAMPLERS

The presently available protocol for evaluating the performance of per sonal aerosol samplers according to the inhalable convention is diffic ult to satisfy as it requires a large cross-section wind tunnel. The p resent study was initiated to simplify and reduce the cost of the test method by mounting the test samplers on a small, stationary torso ins tead of a full-size rotating manikin. The simplified torso consisted o f a rectangular three-dimensional body (33 cm wide, 21 cm deep, 21 cm high). Replicates of the personal inhalable aerosol sampler under cons ideration were attached in the center of each vertical face of the sim plified torso representing the three principal sampling orientations ( facing the wind, turned 90 degrees, and turned 180 degrees to the wind ). When the samplers were mounted on a full-size manikin, the air flew in the vicinity of the manikin was found to depend on the sampler loc ation, symmetry of the manikin, and position of the manikin's arms. On the simplified torso, the magnitude and direction of the air flow nea r the samplers were found to be comparable to that of the manikin. Whe n subjected to nearly monodisperse aerosol Bows (particle size of 70 m u m, wind velocity of 50 and 200 cm s(-1)), both methods yielded aeros ol sampling efficiencies that were statistically not different at thre e major sampling orientations. The advantages of the simplified torso are that fewer measurements need to he made; a smaller, less expensive wind tunnel can be used for the testing; and interlaboratory variabil ity of personal inhalable samplers' performance may be decreased. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.