The Virtual Cyclone as a Personal Respirable Sampler

Abstract

Aerosol exposure via the inhalation route is a primary concern in occupational health. A researcher must perform aerosol size-selective sampling because respiratory deposition is dependent on aerosol size. The optimal sampling instrument is therefore the one that provides the most accurate measurement of the atmospheric dust component, thus showing the extent of a health hazard. However, the most commonly used respirable samplers today can only meet the 50% cut-off point and not the slope of the respirable convention prescribed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), the Inter national Standard Organization (ISO), and the Comite European de Normalisa tion (CEN). These conventional cyclones are also found to be affected by the aerosol deposition and accumulation on the wall of the cyclone body, which leads to a significant decrease in aerosol penetration. In the present study, a miniature, compact, rugged virtual cyclone, which employs a nonimpact particle separation, was ...