Aerosol Sampler Calibration [2001]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chen BT ; Cheng Y-S
• Description:
  Because the accuracy of measuring aerosols depends on the precision of the aerosol instrument, the instrument must be calibrated very carefully. The following comments summarize this chapter and the philosophy of aerosol instrument calibration: 1. The developer or manufacturer of an instrument has the responsibility for providing instrument performance data that include full-scale calibration data covering the whole applicable range (i.e., the particle size for sizing the instrument and the concentration for mass or number concentration monitors), the test aerosol used, and the conditions under which the instrument is tested (flow rates, ambient temperature, and pressure). This calibration should be performed for new instruments and after extensive repair. 2. The user should understand the principles of the instrument operation and be familiar with the calibration data. The decision on when to recalibrate the instrument is based on scientific and regulatory requirements. Frequent checks of the instrument and its flow meter are minimum requirements, and a single point check is recommended for routine use of any sampling instrument. Full-scale calibration requires substantial effort, appropriate equipment, and facilities that may not be available for every user. 3. Quality assurance is an important aspect of a successful test program. The calibration procedure should be carefully planned and documented. Test runs should be made to ensure that the system is functioning, that the correct procedures are used, and that the aerosol and flow stability are achieved and maintained. Standard operating procedures should be followed during the calibration, and any problems encountered should be resolved and documented. All records including test runs, data, problems with appropriate comments, instrument 197 identification, barometric pressure, temperature, flow rate, properties of the test aerosol, and the name of the operator should be documented. 4. Proper test facilities should be used for an aerosol sampler intended for different environments. Instrument chambers with low air flow should be used for calm air sampling conditions, whereas aerosol wind tunnels should be used to simulate sampling in the flow streams or ambient environments. 5. Proper test aerosols should be used. Standard spherical test aerosols such as PSL and others provide data to compare the instrument response with other instruments using the same kind of aerosol. Whenever possible, test aerosols with physicochemical properties similar to the measured aerosol should be used. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Measurement-equipment Particle-counters Particulates Samplers Sampling-equipment Testing-equipment
• ISBN:
  9781882417391
• Publisher:
  American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  New Mexico ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 6 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  177-199
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049040
• Citation:
  Air sampling instruments for evaluation of atmospheric contaminants, 9th edition. Cohen BS, McCammon CS Jr., eds. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), 2001 May; :177-199
• Editor(s):
  Cohen BS; McCammon CS Jr.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a2a5d8a29975f2d8c117d8f9910952348e7e7bf1b0ed0870e72fd5209477ec12bcf8dee25934524938ab347f2e51224d7fe403ec50551aeaab3ec60b6b54bbf1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203623/cdc_203623_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 14.53 MB ]