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Related Experiment Videos

Filter and electrostatic samplers for semivolatile aerosols: physical artifacts.

John Volckens1, David Leith

  • 1Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-7431, USA. volckens@unc.edu

Environmental Science & Technology
|November 16, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Electrostatic precipitation significantly reduces adsorptive and evaporative artifacts in semivolatile aerosol measurements compared to traditional filtration methods. This technique offers more accurate data by minimizing disruptions to gas-particle equilibrium.

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Area of Science:

  • Atmospheric Chemistry
  • Aerosol Science
  • Environmental Monitoring

Background:

  • Semivolatile aerosols are prone to measurement biases from adsorption and evaporation during sampling.
  • Filtration methods disrupt gas-particle equilibrium, leading to adsorptive artifacts.
  • Fluctuating concentrations cause evaporative artifacts, further compromising filter-based measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify adsorptive and evaporative artifacts in filter versus electrostatic precipitation samplers.
  • To compare the performance of electrostatic precipitators against filter samplers for semivolatile alkane aerosols.
  • To evaluate the impact of backup filters on artifact correction.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory experiments were conducted using semivolatile alkane aerosols.

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  • Measurements were taken using both filter samplers and electrostatic precipitator samplers.
  • Artifacts were assessed by comparing results from different sampling techniques.

    • Main Results:

    • Electrostatic precipitation showed 5-100 times lower adsorption of gas-phase semivolatiles than filters.
    • Particle evaporation was 2.3 times lower with electrostatic samplers compared to TFE-coated glass-fiber filters.
    • Backup filters, intended to correct adsorption, introduced additional errors (1.5-2x increase in evaporative artifact).

    Conclusions:

    • Electrostatic precipitation is a superior method for minimizing adsorptive and evaporative artifacts in semivolatile aerosol sampling.
    • The use of backup filters for artifact correction can lead to inaccuracies.
    • Minimizing surface area and maintaining gas-particle equilibrium are key to accurate aerosol measurements.