A Handheld Electrostatic Precipitator for Sampling Airborne Particles and Nanoparticles

Details

• Personal Author:
  Frey G ; King G ; Miller, Aubrey K. ; Sunderman, Carl
• Description:
  Researchers at NIOSH are developing methods for characterizing ultrafine aerosols in workplaces. One method includes the detailed analysis of collected particles using electron microscopy (EM). In order to collect samples for EMat remote workplaces including mining and manufacturing facilities, researchers have developed a handheld electrostatic precipitator (ESP) particle sampler capable of collecting airborne particles including nanoscale materials, for subsequentEManalysis. The handheld ESP has been tested in the laboratory and is currently undergoing beta testing in the field. Gross collection efficiencies were measured with a CPC and net efficiencies by EM analysis of collected samples. Using laboratory-generated NaCl aerosols in the 30-400 nm size range at a flow rate of 55 cc/min and ESP operating voltages between 5.6- 6.8 kV, both gross and net efficiencies were measured and showed a similar correlation with voltage, with maximum efficiency of approximately 86% at 6.4 kV. EM images from samples were also used to estimate particle size distributions of the original aerosols and the size-dependent deposition was evaluated for upstream versus downstream locations on the samplemedia. Results suggest that the number concentration and particle size distribution of sampled aerosols may potentially be estimated from a single ESP sample, but that the accuracy and repeatability of such quantification need to be investigated and refined. NIOSH is planning to license the ESP sampler for commercial manufacturing. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Microbiology Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Aerosol-particles Aerosol-sampling Air-contamination Airborne-particles Electrostatic-precipitators Microscopic-analysis Microscopy Nanotechnology Particulate-sampling-methods
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  0278-6826
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OMSHR - Office of Mine Safety and Health Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  417-427
• Volume:
  44
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036794
• Citation:
  Aerosol Sci Technol 2010 Jun; 44(6):417-427
• Contact Point Address:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Spokane Research Laboratory, 315 E Montgomery Ave., Spokane, WA 99207
• Email:
  ALMiller@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Sodium chloride (CAS RN 7647-14-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Aerosol Science and Technology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6a947dda25d2a778857a71949a639624209257ca9a87f28b1bda2ed9e64aff1566fdc4492fa73a1381d2e4eb098635729d0c05801cdc9c791d1a871987356a6a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/227213/cdc_227213_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 877.70 KB ]