LCS Laboratory., offers ready-to-use sampling kits for Air Quality Testing. The kits are built in strict compliance with Industrial Hygiene practices and are designed to deliver the highest quality results. The kits are professional grade and require some practical skills in order to collect quality samples.
In this article, we explain how to assemble a sampling train to collect vapours from ambient air. LCS laboratory will provide you with pre-calibrated air sampling pumps, tubings, and adsorbent tubes. When you receive the order, please check the content and make sure that you have everything you will need for successful sampling. Once you are ready to collect a sample, it is time to assemble a sampling train. Please note that the model of a pump or the colour of a sampling tube in the image below may be different from the instruments that you received with your kit.
Locate your Alpha-2 Dupont pump. This pump is battery operated and runs for approximately 50 hours on 4 AA alkaline batteries.
Loosen the front screw and remove the cover plate.
Locate the ON/OFF switch and turn the pump ON. It takes about 30 seconds for the motor to start. This is normal.
Locate the adsorbent tube and side cutter. The tubes are factory-sealed. You open them by breaking the ends right before sampling. To break the ends of the tube, hold the tube over a garbage bag to capture small pieces of broken glass. Break off tips of the adsorbent tube on both sides, using the side cutter. Always point the side cutter away from yourself. Remember to be careful and wear safety glasses for your protection.
The broken end of the tube will look like this.
Your adsorbent tube has two ends: a front end (on the picture above, it is on the left side), and the back end filled with the adsorbent (right side).
Insert the back section (filled with adsorbent) of the tube into the Tygon tubing connected to the pump.
Place the short piece of clear tube (provided) on the front section of the adsorbent tube to cover any sharp ends of the glass. Your sampling train is ready to begin collecting the sample. Make sure that you collect mercury vapour for 7-9 hours. If you collect a short sample, the sensitivity may be poor. If the sample taken is too long you can exceed the capacity of the sampling tube. Please keep a record of where the sample was collected, when you started the sample, at what time you finished sampling, the pump ID, and the tube ID. Once the sampling is complete, turn the pump off, disconnect the tube and remove the “end-tube”.
Close the tube with red caps (provided), and label the tube. Congratulations! You have completed the sampling. Complete a request for analysis form and send it to the lab alongside your samples
Please contact us if you need air sampling equipment or laboratory testing of your samples.
