Venturi-scrubber pre-concentration technique for electrochemical detectionof airborne lead traces

A method for ambient tracing of airborne lead-containing pollutants is repo rted. It is based on coupling a Venturi-scrubber aerosol sampling with squa re-wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The method was tested by a series of pilot experiments. These were performed using contamination-controlled air intakes. A linear concentration process was achieved by the Venturi-scrubbe r. These data were cross-referenced by means of standard analysis of the le ad-containing aerosols entrapped on filter sampler. Successful modeling of experimental results was achieved. Several aspects, relevant to on-line mon itoring of such lead-contaminated aerosols, have been addressed. The sampli ng efficiency increases with the average aerosol size and is reduced by per sisting non-soluble airborne particulates. The reported pre-concentration p rocesses are consistent with a well-known inertial impact mechanism. In reg ards of capturing liquid aerosols, this approach appears to be more effecti ve than that with filters. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.