Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
10:29
Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers
Published on: March 21, 2016
[Size distribution of particles collected by passive sampler]
Lei Chu1, Jiu-meng Liu, Zhi-gang Liu
1College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. truly1985@126.com
Huan Jing Ke Xue= Huanjing Kexue
|June 10, 2010
Summary
Passive samplers effectively collect airborne particulate matter. A fine-screen mesh influences particle size distribution, particularly reducing coarse particles indoors but showing complex effects outdoors.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Atmospheric Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Context:
- Airborne particulate matter (PM) poses significant health risks.
- Semi-volatile organic pollutants (SVOPs) are key environmental contaminants.
- Passive sampling offers a low-cost method for air quality monitoring.
Purpose:
- To investigate the influence of wind speed and mesh coverage on airborne particulate matter size distribution using a passive sampler.
- To compare passive sampler performance with active methods under various environmental conditions.
Summary:
- Passive samplers with vaseline-coated slides collected gaseous and particulate SVOPs.
- A fine-screen mesh (300 mesh) effectively reduced coarse particle diffusion indoors.
- Outdoor windy conditions led to random coarse particle entry and altered fine particulate size distribution (3-9 microm).
Impact:
- Mesh-covered passive samplers show potential for accurate PM10 size distribution analysis in low-wind conditions.
- Findings highlight the need to consider environmental factors for accurate passive air sampling.
- Improved understanding of passive sampling mechanisms aids in developing better air quality monitoring tools.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Sampling Plans
Sampling is a crucial step in analytical chemistry, allowing researchers to collect representative data from a large population. Common sampling methods include random, judgmental, systematic, stratified, and cluster sampling.
Random sampling is a method where each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample. It involves selecting individuals randomly, often using random number generators or lottery-type methods. For example, when analyzing the properties of a...
Random sampling is a method where each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample. It involves selecting individuals randomly, often using random number generators or lottery-type methods. For example, when analyzing the properties of a...
01:18Sampling Methods: Sample Types
Sampling materials are classified into three main types: solid, liquid, and gas.
Solid samples include a variety of substances, such as sediments from water bodies, soil, metals, and biological tissues. Two standard methods for extracting sediments from water bodies are grab sampling and piston coring. Grab sampling involves using a device to collect a discrete sediment sample from the bottom of a water body with minimal disturbance. Grab samples do not always represent the entire area due to...
Solid samples include a variety of substances, such as sediments from water bodies, soil, metals, and biological tissues. Two standard methods for extracting sediments from water bodies are grab sampling and piston coring. Grab sampling involves using a device to collect a discrete sediment sample from the bottom of a water body with minimal disturbance. Grab samples do not always represent the entire area due to...
01:09Analyte Adsorption and Distribution
In certain chromatographic separations, solutes transfer between the mobile phase and the stationary phase via sorption, which typically refers to the process of adsorption. For many chromatographic systems, the sorption process often depends on the polarity of the compounds—an expression of the overall dipole moment within the molecule. During the separation process, there is competition between the solute and solvent for adsorption to the stationary phase. Highly polar compounds and solvents...
01:06Sampling Methods: Overview
A sample refers to a smaller subset representative of a larger population. In analytical chemistry, studying or analyzing an entire population is often impractical or impossible. Therefore, samples are used to draw inferences and generalize the whole population. The sampling method selects individuals or items from a population to create a sample. Standard sampling methods include random, judgemental, systematic, stratified, and cluster sampling.
In analytical chemistry, the choice of sampling...
In analytical chemistry, the choice of sampling...
01:12Sampling Distribution
Given simple random samples of size n from a given population with a measured characteristic such as mean, proportion, or standard deviation for each sample, the probability distribution of all the measured characteristics is called a sampling distribution. How much the statistic varies from one sample to another is known as the sampling variability of a statistic. You typically measure the sampling variability of a statistic by its standard error. The standard error of the mean is an example...