SKC Particle Size-selective Sampling Guide

With the many particle size-selective sampling devices available, it is sometimes difficult to gather all of the information needed to determine the one best suited for an application. Ultimately, it is the user's responsibility to choose the device required for a specific sampling application and environment. SKC offers several particle size-selective devices for the collection of respirable, PM2.5, PM10, or inhalable size particles. Use the convenient guide below to help select a device to meet your application and to find information on it in the appropriate page. Refer to the SKC Air Sampling Guides for specific compounds and methods

Sampler	Particle Size	Flow-Rate	50% Cut-point	Recommended Calibration Device	Filter Size	Unique Features
Button Sampler	Inhalable	4.0 L/min	100 µm	Button Sampler Calibration Adapter	25 mm	Low sensitivity to ambient air conditions Reduces oversampling of very large particles
IOM Sampler	Inhalable Respirable (with foam)	2.0 L/min 2.0 L/min	100 µm 4.0 µm	IOM Calibration Adapter	25 mm	Meets ACGIH sampling criteria for inhalable dust Multi-Fraction sampling with MultiDust foams
GS-3 Cycone	Respirable	2.75 L/min 3.7 L/min	4.0 µm 3.5 µm	Multi-purpose Calibration Jar	25 mm or 37 mm	Overcomes orientation and wind speed errors reported with Dorr-Oliver performance Non-conductive
SKC Aluminum Cyclone	Respirable	2.5 L/min 2.8 L/min	4.0 µm 3.5 µm	Aluminum Cyclone Calibration Chamber	25 mm or 37 mm	Specified in NIOSH 7500 (silica) and NIOSH 0600 (respirable particulates)
Parallel Particle Sampler	Respirable or Thoracic	2.0 L/min 2.0 L/min	4 µm 10 µm	Multi-purpose Calibration Jar	37-mm collection filter and 9.5-mm impaction substrate	Matches entire curve more closely than any other sampler Meets NIOSH 5524 and ACGIH thoracic TLVs
DPM Cassette	Sub-micron	1.7 L/min 2.0 L/min	< 1.0 µm	Multi-purpose Calibration Jar if used with GS-1 Cyclone	37 mm	Integral precision-jeweled impactor Low carbon background filter Tamper-evident seal
PEM Sampler	PM2.5 PM10 (thoracic)	2.0 L/min 4.0 L/min 10 L/min	2.5 µm or 10.0 µm	PEM Calibration cap	37 mm	Referenced in EPA Method IP-10A for particles in indoor air
MEM Sampler	PM2.5 PM10 (thoracic)	10.0 L/min 10.0 L/min	2.5 µm or 10.0 µm	None Required	37 mm	Interchangeable sampling heads Programmable start/stop
Sioutas Cascade Impactor	Fractionates 2.5 µm & above 1.0 - 2.5 µm 0.5 - 1.0 µm 0.25 - 0.5 µm < 0.25 µm	9 L/min	2.5 µm 1.0 µm 0.5 µm 0.25 µm	None required	37 mm after filter and 25 mm collection substrate	Minimal particle bounce Sample coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles Preserves unstable compounds
IMPACT Single-stage Impactor	PM2.5 or PM10	10.0 L/min 10.0 L/min	2.5 µm or 10 µm	IMPACT Cal Adapter	47 mm collection filter and 37 mm impaction substrates	Follows closely EPA reference methods and criteria Convenient disposable impaction substrate

About Particle Size-selective Sampling

The concept of size-selective sampling of industrial aerosols is based on the measurement of particles that are associated with a specific human health effect, i.e., how deeply particles penetrate into the respiratory tract. ACGIH recommends that particle-size selective threshold limit values (TLVs^®) be expressed in three forms:

Inhalable (100 µm 50% cut-point), hazardous when deposited anywhere in the respiratory tract.
Thoracic (10 µm 50% cut-point), hazardous when deposited in the lung airways and the gas exchange regions.
Respirable (4 µm 50% cut-point), hazardous when deposited in the gas exchange regions of the lungs.

PM2.5 and PM10 sampling according to EPA regulations determines compliance with ambient air quality standards and reveals information on particle sources and their effect on the environment and public health.

This page was last modified March 20, 2007

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