Preliminary Assessment of an Economical Fugitive Road Dust Sampler for the Collection of Bulk Samples for Geochemical Analysis

Abstract

Fugitive road dust collection for chemical analysis and interpretation has been limited by the quantity and representativeness of samples. Traditional methods of fugitive dust collection generally focus on point-collections that limit data interpretation to a small area or require the investigator to make gross assumptions about the origin of the sample collected. These collection methods often produce a limited quantity of sample that may hinder efforts to characterize the samples by multiple geochemical techniques, preserve a reference archive, and provide a spatially integrated characterization of the road dust health hazard. To achieve a "better sampling" for fugitive road dust studies, a cyclonic fugitive dust (CFD) sampler was constructed and tested. Through repeated and identical sample collection routes at two collection heights (50.8 and 88.9 cm above the road surface), the products of the CFD sampler were characterized using particle size and chemical analysis. The average particle size collected by the cyclone was 17.9 µm, whereas particles collected by a secondary filter were 0.625 µm. No significant difference was observed between the two sample heights tested and duplicates collected at the same height; however, greater sample quantity was achieved at 50.8 cm above the road surface than at 88.9 cm. The cyclone effectively removed 94% of the particles > 1 µm, which substantially reduced the loading on the secondary filter used to collect the finer particles; therefore, suction is maintained for longer periods of time, allowing for an average sample collection rate of about 2 g mi-1.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Second Department

Chemistry

Keywords and Phrases

Average particle size; Collection methods; Data interpretation; Geochemical analysis; Geochemical techniques; Preliminary assessment; Sample collection; Significant differences; Analytical geochemistry; Data processing; Dust collectors; Health hazards; Particle size; Roads and streets; Environmental Monitoring; Humans

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0047-2425

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2013 Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Dec 2012

Link to Full Text

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