A Comparative Study of the Performance of Passive Samplers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Atmospheric concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (o-xylene and m,p-xylene) were assessed in the Tricity area (Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia, Poland) with the use of two types of passive samplers: permeation (homemade passive samplers) and diffusive (Radiello and Orsa 5). Samples were collected during 2008 at selected sites in the Tricity area at monitoring stations belonging to the agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring Foundation. The field study was conducted to compare the performance of these two different types of passive samplers. A statistical approach was formulated, and the experimental data were evaluated using the paired t test, Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test, and Friedman analysis of variance. All the statistical results confirm the hypothesis that the differences between the performances of the three sampling devices are highly significant. Despite the fact that data obtained with the homemade passive sampler indicated that the results were higher compared with those for the Radiello and Orsa 5 diffusive samplers, the authors note that all differences between the homemade permeation sampler and the Radiello and Orsa 5 diffusive samplers are positive. IMPLICATION This study examined the performance of two types of passive samplers (permeation and diffusive type) for the long-term characterization of time-weighted mean concentration of analytes in a given environmental compartment. The results of this evaluation demonstrated that passive sampling was found to be suitable for consideration as part of an emerging strategy for monitoring a wide spectrum of priority pollutants in ambient air. The samples of analytes obtained can serve as a source of information in reference to creating the precise distribution of pollutant concentrations in both time and space and analyzing trends in pollutant concentrations in outdoor air. The data obtained may aid in the identification of analyte sources and modeling air pollution transport.