Engineering and Environmental Technology developed a unique, self-contained personal exposure sampler under a Strategic Capability Development Award. The goal was to produce a sampler that would permit multi-day studies of the airborne particle exposures of adults and children during normal activities. The sampling system was designed to be worn by adults as a waistpack and by children as a small backpack. Weighing less than two pounds and producing a noise level of 40 decibels (a quiet bedroom), the system operates for up to 168 hours on four AA alkaline batteries. System components can also be configured to sample particle concentrations at fixed locations indoors and outdoors for comparison.
The reliability required by multi-day testing in research such as the EPA National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) necessitated that the system include a miniature on-board computer for monitoring and control. In addition, motion is recorded to quantify the subject's activity level. In collaboration with Analytical and Chemical Sciences, more than 100 units are being used in the NHEXAS, in an in-vehicle commuting study for the state of California, and in a $750,000 commercial exposure study for a private client. This capability has substantially strengthened RTI's position as the leader in human exposure assessment research.
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