AIR SAMPLING

Objective
Air is the most Important of the vital substances required for life. Human being can survive
for up a month without food, up to one week without water, but deprived air, they can only
survive no longer than a couple of minutes. We breathe between 10 and 25 m2 of air daily and
any toxins present are also inhaled. Clean air is therefore a necessity for human life.
The air required for sustaining life is contained in the lowest section of the
atmosphere and it is this air at ground level that we will be mainly concerned with here. The
troposphere, located below about 10 km contains the air that we breathe and it is the location
of weather process. The lowest of 1 km of the atmosphere, the so-called boundary layer, is
where most of the air pollution takes place.
In fact, most chemicals can be found in the atmosphere; even a radioactive element
such as radon is found in the atmosphere, albeit at a minuscule concentration of 6 10-18%. In
in addition to gases, the atmosphere also contains varying concentrations of dust particles
originating from sea spray, wind-blown desert dusts, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, etc.
Another section of the atmosphere of interest to environmentalists is the stratosphere. They
so-called ozone layer, which prevents harmful UV-rays from reaching the earths surface, is
located in the stratosphere.

Air Sampling Methodologies

There are no federal government requirements for monitoring nor are there clearly defined
methodologies. Although there have been a few attempts by professional organization,
universities and private firms to provide guidelines, the most readily accepted guidelines have
been set forth by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
Its latest publication, Bioaerosols: Assessment and Controls, is frequently referenced herein.

Sampling Apparatus and Methods

Instruments are now available for all the criteria pollutants as well as for many volatile
organic compounds. However, due to their high cost, these instruments may not be
available in many teaching laboratories. Reliable measurement of air pollutants can be
made using relatively inexpensive methods involving the sampling of air pollution
followed by chemical analysis in the laboratory. Before the advent of instrumental
techniques, these methods were widely used by municipal monitoring stations and some
are still recognised by the US EPA as reference methods. Reference methods are those
methods against which all other methods, including in some cases instrumental methods,
are tested. Methods, which are found to give results in agreement with the reference
methods are designated equivalent methods. Samplers are classed as active or passive.
Active sampler require the use of a sampling pump.

Escort ELF Sampling Pump

Procedure:

1. Check pump inlet filter; replace if heavily loaded.

2. Turn ON the pump and allow it to reach its flow rate setting.

3. If the pump is not set for 2.50 LPM, set it to 2.50.

4. Allow the pump to operate for 10 to 15 minutes at 2.50 LPM. To check for leaks,
temporarily block the pump inlet; 0.02 LPM or less should be displayed. If not,
checks the inlet filter cover and o-ring for correct assembly.

5. Leave the pump set for 2.50 LPM and turn OFF the pump.

6. Connect a primary calibration standard to the pump.

7. Turn ON the pump; as the pump goes through its self-check sequence, press and hold
the ON/OFF and RUN/HOLD switches simultaneously until the display reads CAL.

8. Immediately release both buttons.

NOTE: Failure to release both buttons will turn OFF the pump.
The display will show CAL and a countdown sequence of numbers from 9
through 0; thereafter, it will alternately display CAL and 2.50 LPM.

9. Operate the calibration standard and obtain at least six readings which are very close
to one another.

10. Use the and switch buttons to step the pump display up or down until it agrees
exactly with the average of the six readings.

11. Turn OFF the pump; the ELF sensor is now calibrated.

12. Repeat monthly or every 200 hours of use.

13. When you next turn ON the pump, the operating hours will be reset to 0 and be
displayed during the lighting of the FLOW FAULT and LOW BAT LEDs.

The BIOS DryCal should be used to calibrate or check the flow rate of an MSA Escort ELF
pump only if an isolating flow restrictor (e.g., a filter or an orifice such as P/N 632646)
providing at least 10" WC is placed in line between the pump and the calibrator. Failure to
use such an isolation technique can cause a calibration inaccuracy on the order of 2% and is
not recommended.

Zefon Bio-Pump Plus

The Zefon Bio-Pump Plus is the smallest and lightest portable battery powered IAQ
sampling pump available. It provides the simplest and most convenient way to sample with
Air-O-Cell and Via-Cell cassettes at a flow rate of 15LPM.

CALIBRATION
It is recommended that the Bio-Pump Plus be calibrated and verified at least once every day
of use.
A flow indicator for Air-O-Cell cassettes and Via-Cell /Air-O-Cell CSI cassettes is
supplied with the pump for ease of calibration. You may also calibrate your pump using the
optional Bio-Pump TSI Primary Calibrator. These are the only approved calibrators that are
specially designed to work with low backpressure impeller fan type pumps.
WARNING!
Do NOT calibrate the pump using any other devices. Doing so will yield inaccurate readings
due to the backpressure created by the calibrators. Calibrators known by Zefon to cause
theses inaccuracies include, but are not limited to:
Bios Drycal, Bios Defender, Gilian Gilibrator, Gilian Challenger, or standard miniBUCK
calibrators.

1. Rubber Grommet Cassette Attachment

2. LCD Display
3. Sample Complete Light
4. START/STOP Button
5. POWER Button
6. UP/DOWN Arrows
7. Low Battery Light
8. SET Button
9. QUICK SAMPLE Button
10. Charging Indicator Light
11. Tripod Mounting Threads, 1/4 (on bottom)
12. Battery Compartment (on bottom)
13. Battery Charging Jack

Adjusting the Calibration:

1. Press the POWER button to turn the pump on.

2. Using the arrows, select CALIBRATE BIO-PUMP.

3. Connect the flow indicator or bubble tube.

4. Press the SET button and the unit will start running at a low speed.

5. Use the arrows to adjust the flow rate until 15LPM is shown on the flow indicator or
bubble tube. Note: When setting calibration, the flow starts out very low. Continue to
press the up arrow until 15LPM is reached. This may take as many as 15 pushes of the
button.

6. Press the set key to save the calibration. The pump will stop automatically.

Note: To check the pump calibration you must use the verify calibration setting. Using the
Calibrate Bio-Pump mode will erase the previous flow setting from memory and revert to a
low speed setting.
Verifying the Calibration:
1. Press the POWER button to turn the pump on.

2. Use the arrow buttons to select VERIFY CALIBRATION.

3. Connect the flow indicator or bubble tube.

4. Press the SET or START button to begin.

5. Measure the flow rate with the calibrator. To stop, press the stop button. To adjust the
calibration, use the CALIBRATE BIO-PUMP option as described above.

PROCEDURE:

Taking Samples Using Single Sampling Mode:

1. Place the pump in the desired location.

2. Place cassette on the rubber grommet on top of the pump so that the cassette fits
snugly.

3. Press the POWER button to turn the pump on.

4. Using the arrows, select SINGLE SAMPLING MODE

5. Press SET.

6. Using the arrows, enter the sample run time.

7. Press SET.

8. Press START to begin sampling. Once completed, the unit will beep, the display will
show SAMPLE COMPLETE and the red sample complete light will turn on.
Remove cassette from pump by gently pulling upward.

9. Seal cassette, document the sample run time and send to laboratory for analysis.

Taking Sampling Using the Quick Sample Mode:

1. Place the pump in the desired location.
2. Place cassette on the rubber grommet on top of the pump so that the cassette fits
snugly.
3. Press the POWER button to turn the pump on.
4. Press the QUICK SAMPLE button. The display should read Quick Sample, 1
minute.
5. Continue to press the QUICK SAMPLE button to change the sampling time from 1,
2, 5 and 10 minutes.
6. Once the correct number of minutes is displayed, press START to begin sampling.
7. Once completed, the unit will beep, the display will show SAMPLE COMPLETE
and the yellow sample complete light will turn on. Remove cassette from pump by
gently pulling upward. Seal cassette, document the sample run time and send to
laboratory for analysis.

Taking Samples Using Sequential Sampling Mode:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Setup the pump as described in steps 1-3 for single sampling mode.
Using the arrows, select SEQUENTIAL SAMPLING MODE, and then press SET.
Using the arrows, select the number of on/off cycles, then press SET.
Using the arrows, select the CYCLE RUN TIME (adjustable in seconds), then press

SET.
5. Using the arrows, select the CYCLE OFF TIME (adjustable in seconds), then press
SET.
6. Press START to begin sampling. Once completed, the unit will beep, the display will
show SAMPLE COMPLETE and the yellow sample complete light will turn on.
Remove cassette from pump by gently pulling upward.
7. Seal cassette, document the sample run time and send to laboratory for analysis.
8.

Suggestion (Sampling Strategy)

The sampling strategy is subject to the investigators evaluation of each specific situation.
There are a few basic guides to aid the investigator, but they are not hard and fast rules.
Careful thought and planning are paramount.
When and Where to Sample
According to the ACGIH, to anticipate high and low exposures, minimum sampling efforts
should include a least one, preferable three, and sample areas in each of following areas:

An anticipated high exposure area (e.g., an area identified as central to health

complaints)
An anticipated low exposure area (e.g., an area identified as confirmed to have

minimum health complaints)

Outdoors near air intakes for the building (e.g., on the roof or along the side of the
building where fresh air is taken to supply the indoor area(s) to be sampled)

Other sample sites that should be included are:

Outdoors near potential sources of bioaerosols that may enter a building (e.g., fresh
air entry from open or frequently used doors and windows downwind from a creek

bed or waste container)

Outdoors high above grade and away from potential bioaerosol sources (e.g.,
background levels not affected by the immediate building environment)

When accessing fungal growth contributions from a ventilation system, locate a side near one
of the air diffusers associated with the air handling unit in question. Then take samples at
different times during the units cycle. Consider the following:

After the air handling unit has been turned off (generally occurring over a weekend),

preferably prior to restart after a weekend of downtime.

After the air handling unit has been turned on, restarted after a weekend.
During mechanical agitation of the ductwork, preferably when a space is unoccupied
and in a fashion to stimulate normal maintenance activities or other normal
disturbances that might occur to the duct work.

REFERENCES:

1. Practical Environmental Analysis, Second Edition, Miroslav Radojevic & Vladimir N.

Bashkin.
2. Indoor Air Quality The Latest Sampling and Analytical Methods, Second Edition,
Kathleen Hess-Kosa.
3. Air Sampling and Industrial Hygiene Engineering, Marthal J. Boss and Dennis W.
Day.
4. Indoor Air Quality Sampling Methodologies, Kathleen Hess-Kosa.
5. http://www.zefon.com/analytical/download/Escort-ELF-Flyer.pdf