Particle Size convention
LCS laboratory offers air sampling pumps, cassettes, cyclones, and cassette holders for the sampling of respirable fractions of airborne dust. A respirable particulate fraction is a fraction of inhaled airborne particles that can penetrate beyond the terminal bronchioles into the gas-exchange region of the lungs. According to international conventions, the respirable fraction of dust contains particles smaller than 10 micron, with a mass median diameter of 4 microns.
Dust pre- filter for IOM samplers
Any air sampler, which is designed to collect the respirable fraction of dust (respirable dust), contains two essential components: a separator of the coarse dust, and a pre- weighed filter to collect the respirable fraction. Two standard techniques are currently available:
- North American schools of air sampling rely on using of miniature cyclones for dust separation. The methods are based on the NIOSH 0600 method with modifications depending of the model of cyclone used.
- European schools allows use of cyclones or foam pre-filters to separate large particles. All techniques are described in the UK method MDHS 14/4.
LCS Laboratory offers laboratory testing by both NIOSH 0600 and MDHS 14/4 methods. Below we offer a brief list of advantages and limitations of each method.
Dorr-Oliver Nylon Cyclone. This cyclone must be operated at 1.7 L/min. This was the first air sampling cyclone specifically designed for personal sampling. It is specified in the NIOSH 0600 method. Samples collected with this cyclone are considered by many as a “golden standard”. The cyclone is recommended for longer sampling in dusty environments.
Aluminum cyclone. The normal operation flow rate is 2.5 L/min. After being on the market for 20+ years, the Aluminum cyclone became a common sampling device where larger volumes of air were needed. The cyclone is listed in the NIOSH 0600 method. The sampler is best suited for silica sampling, when the results must be compared with ACGIH guidelines. We do not recommend to use Aluminum cyclones, in areas with dust levels above 3 mg/m³ (welding fumes, cement dust, grain dust). If this is your first project dealing with Respirable Dust, exposure, please check our step-by-step sampling procedure.
BGI GK 2.69 is the fastest personal cyclone we offer. Its normal operation rate is 4.1 L/min, which makes it best suitable for short sampling like STEL or Ceiling. Not all personal pumps can operate at such a high flow. Please be sure that you checked your pump. You can always call us to order a “high” flow pump with a cyclone for your project. It is listed in MDHS 14/4, but remains mostly unknown to the Industrial Hygiene community.-
Inhalable Sampler (IOM)
Collection of respirable dust on Inhalable samples with foam pre-filters are less common in North America. This method is standard as described in MDHS 14/4. The recommended flow rate is 2 L/min. In terms of sensitivity the method is similar to sampling with a Nylon Cyclone. The biggest advantage of the method is the possibility to measure both Respirable and Inhalable fractions of the dust on the same sample.
If you need to collect the respirable dust samples, please email our lab. We have all equipment in stock.
