A new very-low volume sampler has been developed with the purpose of allowing spatially-resolved determination of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and of its chemical components. The low-cost, automatic and self-powered device assures long-term (1-2 months) collection of PM on membrane filters, suitable for subsequent chemical analyses. The device showed very good performance in terms of repeatability of the samplings.
The study of the spatial distribution of atmospheric PM and of its components is essential for a reliable identification of emission sources, the evaluation of particle dispersion over the territory and the assessment of personal exposure. However, the very high cost of a network based on traditional PM samplers generally prevents the achievement of these goals. A low-cost, self-powered and automatic device for PM sampling on membrane filters has been recently become available.
© Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" - Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma
