title: An electrostatic micro-collection interface for aerosol collection. Automated ion Chromatographic analysis of aerosols.
abstract: A miniature aerosol collector based on electrostatic precipitation is described. The sampled aerosol is charged in the device by positive corona discharge and electrostatically collected. The device is operated as a collection interface for aerosol analysis, the collection surfaces can be washed in situ and the effluent subjected to Chromatographic analysis on-line, all in a fully automated manner. At a sampling rate of 0.5 1 min(-1), near unity collection efficiencies are obtained for aerosols of 1 microm and lower size, the size class of greatest environmental interest. Atmospheric aerosol constituents such as sulfate can be measured at the ng m(-3) level. The disadvantage of the present system is that some artifact nitrate is generated (due to NO(x) production in the corona) and reliable values of ambient nitrate aerosol cannot therefore be obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1061, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Dasgupta