Preferred sampler inlet configurations for collection of aerosolized nano-scale materials

Due to the lack of standard industrial hygiene sampling protocols for collection of nano-scale materials, sampling inlet device selection is left to individual researchers and professionals.

The objective of this study was to compare nano-scale aspiration efficiency for common inlet configurations with that of an open-ended sampler tube that is a commonly used inlet for direct reading instruments such as a condensation particle counter.

A polydisperse aerosol was generated using an electric motor as the aerosol source. Typical aerosols generated by this method produced particles with geometric mean mobility diameters of approximately 30 nm with geometric standard deviations of approximately 2. Comparison of raw particle counts in size ranges measured with a scanning mobility particle analyzer was made by determining the fractional difference between the selected inlet and that of the open-ended tube.

Particle size distributions were nearly identical for all inlet types. The same held true for numbers of particles collected with the exception that the needle inlet was highly variable.

When completing air monitoring for nano-scale materials, inlets on most collection devices (filters, tubing) do not impact aspiration efficiency. This means that it is not necessary to match inlet configurations when using multiple methods to collect and analyze nano-scale materials.