A field comparison of 'total suspended particles' and 'PM(10)' air samplers in collecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Air concentrations of particulate-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), collected by three samplers, were compared. Tested instruments were two hi-vol samplers-the one for 'total suspended particles' (TSP) and the other provided with a 10-mu m cutoff (PM(10)) inlet-and a lo-vol portable TSP sampler. Sampling was performed under a variety of ambient conditions, at an urban site where vehicle emissions are the prevailing PAH source. Individual concentrations of PAHs were quantified by high-resolution gas chromatography and ranged 0.05 to 6 ng/m(3). The PM(10) sampler provided concentrations which were on average 73% to 93% (about 90% for the 5- and 6-ring carcinogenic PAHs) of those provided by the hi-vol TSP sampler; the between-instrument ratios showed a good homogeneity throughout the study. The hi-vol and lo-vol TSP samplers, operating at the same face velocity, showed a very good agreement regarding PAH collection (overall mean ratio lo-vol/hi-vol: 97%), but the observed detection limit in lo-vol samples (ca. 0.3 ng/m(3)) may turn out to be too high.