PNAQ Method Summary for Collecting Particulate Matter (PM) and Analysis of PM for Metals
The goal of the PNAQ PM sampling and metals monitoring is to assess levels of metals in airborne, inhalable particulate matter (PM10 - particles smaller that 10um) in areas within a neighborhood near potential metal emission sources. Our monitoring will be of limited duration (~ 3 months) but will provide a screening assessment of the impact of metal emission sources that operate continuously/semi-continuously in a neighborhood.
After a neighborhood is selected for monitoring by the PNAQ Technical Advisory Team, the PNAQ team analyzes the GIS information about industry sources in the neighborhood, air emissions permit data and information from neighborhood representatives. We provide a map to the collaborating neighborhood air quality group that displays general areas where we would like to site monitors with siting criteria. The collaborating neighborhood air quality group identifies cooperating neighbors who will host monitors for the 3 month sampling period. We will site 2-3 samplers per neighborhood.
Our sampling protocol is to run a particulate matter PM10 sampler (ARA Instruments) 48 hours continuously at 16.7 liters/min through a teflon filter, starting every third day. During the sampling period, a PSU student from the PNAQ PM sampling team will collect and replace filters on the day when the sampler is not running. Filters are inspected and weighed before and after deployment. After they return from the field the filter is sent to our metal analysis team. This team runs the filter through an X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument that quantifies the chemical elements present on the filter. The XRF data is used to caluculate the concentration of metals on particulate matter in ambient air. Laboratory and field blanks are analyzed to test for contamination and procedural errors.
