title: Performance evaluation of a tailor-made passive sampler for monitoring of tropospheric ozone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study presents the performance evaluation of a tailor-made passive sampler developed for the monitoring of tropospheric ozone.
  
  
  METHODS
  The performance of the passive sampler was tested in the field conditions in terms of accuracy, precision, blank values, detection limit, effects of some parameters such as sampling site characteristics and sampling period on the field blanks, self-consistency, experimental and theoretical uptake rates, shelf life and comparison with commercial passive samplers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an agreement (R (2) = 0.84) between the responses of passive sampler and the continuous automatic analyser. The accuracy of the sampler, expressed as percent relative error, was obtained lower than 15%. Method precision in terms of coefficient of variance for three simultaneously applied passive samplers was 12%. Sampler detection limit was 2.42 μg m(-3) for an exposure period of 1 week, and the sampler can be stored safely for a period of up to 8 weeks before exposure. Satisfactory self-consistency results showed that extended periods gave the same integrated response as a series of short-term samplers run side by side. The uptake rate of ozone was found to be 10.21 mL min(-1) in a very good agreement with the theoretical uptake rate (10.32 mL min(-1)). The results of the comparison study conducted against a commercially available diffusion tube (Gradko diffusion tube) showed a good linear relationship (R (2) = 0.93) between two passive samplers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sampler seems suitable to be used in large-scale measurements of ozone where no data are available or the number of existing automated monitors is not sufficient.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering & Architecture, Anadolu University, İki Eylül Campus, 26555 Eskişehir, Turkey. oozden@anadolu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozden
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Döğeroğlu
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000032:analysis*; D004058:Diffusion; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D010126:Ozone