title: Miniature open channel scrubbers for gas collection.
abstract: An open channel scrubber is proposed as a miniature fieldable gas collector. The device is 100mm in length, 26 mm in width and 22 mm in thickness. The channel bottom is rendered hydrophilic and liquid flows as a thin layer on the bottom. Air sample flows atop the appropriately chosen flowing liquid film and analyte molecules are absorbed into the liquid. There is no membrane at the air-liquid interface: they contact directly each other. Analyte species collected over a 10 min interval are determined by fluorometric flow analysis or ion chromatography. A calculation algorithm was developed to estimate the collection efficiency a priori; experimental and simulated results agreed well. The characteristics of the open channel scrubber are discussed in this paper from both theoretical and experimental points of view. In addition to superior collection efficiencies at relatively high sample air flow rates, this geometry is particularly attractive that there is no change in collection performance due to membrane fouling. We demonstrate field use for analysis of ambient SO(2) near an active volcano. This is basic investigation of membraneless miniature scrubber and is expected to lead development of an excellent micro-gas analysis system integrated with a detector for continuous measurements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Kumamoto University, Kurokami 2-39-1, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan. todakei@sci.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.forename: Jordan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Purnendu K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000327:Adsorption; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000465:Algorithms; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis*; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000032:analysis; D007564:Japan; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D005740:Gases; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D000641:Ammonia; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide