NEW! PDC 204
Particle Size-Selective (Inhalable, Thoracic and Respirable) Aerosol Sampling

Sponsor: Aerosol Technology Committee

Intermediate | 0.5 IH CM Point/ 0.4 CEU/COC Points
Saturday | 8:00 a.m.-Noon Fee: $175/$215 | Limit: 40

Prerequisites: Familiarity with basic concepts of aerosol sampling.

Outcomes: On completion, the participant will be able to:

• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of total aerosol sampling. 
• Introduce the concept of aerosol size-selective sampling and its relation to human health.  
• Introduce and discuss instrumentation for inhalable, thoracic and respirable sampling.  
• Discuss filter choices and aerosol sampling techniques for different analytical methods and purposes. 
• Present nontraditional applications for size-selective sampling.

Outline:

• Total aerosol sampling – established but outdated technology for respiratory exposure assessment
• ACGIH®/CEN/ISO particle size-selective health-related fractions and conventions
• Inhalable sampling instrumentation – examples, performance, trends
• Respirable and thoracic sampling instrumentation
• Utilization of inhalable samplers for total bioaerosol sampling and abrasive blasting
• Choice of appropriate filters and aerosol sampling techniques for different analytical methods and purposes

Description: The course will provide industrial hygienists with improved understanding of size-selective aerosol sampling concepts and technology. Traditional instruments for monitoring total dust exposures include 37-, 25- and 45-mm open- and closed-face filter cassettes. However, these samplers may not provide a biologically accurate approximation of particle inhalation efficiency. Progress in our understanding of interactions between aerosolized particles and different regions of human respiratory system spurred development of the ACGIH/ISO/CEN particle size-selective health-related aerosol size fractions and conventions. Several personal samplers have been developed to mimic health-based inhalable, thoracic and respirable sampling conventions. Performance characteristics of these size-selective samplers will be discussed and compared to those of total dust samplers such as traditional 37-mm cassettes. Issues related to typical use of these samplers will be reviewed, and several novel size-selective sampling applications (e.g., total bioaerosol enumeration, abrasive blasting) will be discussed.

Instructors: Vitaly Aizenberg, PhD, CIH, CSP, and Erica Jones, MS, ExxonMobil, Annandale, NJ; Aleks Stefaniak, PhD, CIH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV