Passive personal air sampling of dust in a working environment-A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Environmental Monitoring
• Aerosol Science

Background:

• Personal air sampling is crucial for assessing worker exposure to airborne particles in occupational settings.
• Passive samplers offer a potential alternative to active sampling methods, which can be cumbersome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the University of North Carolina (UNC) passive aerosol sampler for personal air sampling of respirable particles in an open-pit mine.
• To assess the sampler's performance in terms of particle characteristics and mass concentration estimation.

Main Methods:

• Nine personal air sampling campaigns were conducted using paired UNC samplers and a respirable cyclone.
• Samples were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
• Filter samples from respirable cyclones were weighed for mass concentration comparison.

Main Results:

• The UNC sampler provided a particle size distribution peaking at approximately 3 µm aerodynamic diameter, consistent with previous findings.
• Elemental analysis indicated the collected particles were of mineral origin.
• Correlations between UNC samplers and respirable cyclones were weak, with UNC samplers showing mass concentrations approximately 30 times higher.

Conclusions:

• The UNC sampler demonstrates potential for characterizing particle size distribution and origin in mining environments.
• Significant overestimation of mass concentration necessitates further research and optimization, potentially involving sampler placement and static electricity mitigation.
• Passive aerosol sampling warrants continued investigation as a viable alternative to laborious active sampling techniques.