Development and testing of a whole-air sampler for measurement of personal exposure to volatile organic compounds

A small and relatively lightweight (3.35 kg) whole-air (canister) sampler that can be worn to monitor personal exposures to volatile organic compounds was developed and evaluated. The prototype personal whole-air sampler (PWAS) consists of a 1-l canister, a mass flow controller, two 1.3 amp hour batteries, a DC/DC converter, and an electronics module with a digital display for the sampling set point, actual flow rate, and battery voltage. The sampler (25.5 x 22.5 x 7.5 cm) fits into a laptop computer carrying case and is able to collect a 900 ml sample at a linear flow rate over 12-16 hours. Laboratory tests demonstrated that the sample flow rate was not affected by temperature or the activity of the person wearing the sampler. Recoveries of methylene chloride, chloroform, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, n-octane, o-xylene, n-decane, and p-dichlorobenzene averaged 89% or better for three final prototype samplers. Recoveries were slightly lower for vinyl chloride (74%) and n-dodecane (82%). The precision for the three prototypes was excellent during laboratory tests with the coefficient of variation (CV) < 10% for all the test compounds. Although the unit was designed for use as a personal whole-air sampling system, it can also be used as an extremely compact microenvironmental whole-air sampler.