Personal Air Sampling
Introduction & History
Goal of Personal Sampling
• Collect an air sample
representative of a worker’s
Breathing Zone
Representative Air Sample
• Conducted over the
entire work shift
• Collects air around
the worker’s face
• Doesn’t get in the way
of doing the job
• Provides a reliable
flow rate & volume
Personal Sampling History
The first personal air
samplers were developed
for sampling coal mine
workers for coal dust
exposure in underground
coal mines.
Timeline: US Agencies
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1910 Bureau of Mines
1913 Department of Labor
1915 Public Health Service
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1969 MSHA
1970 OSHA & EPA
Earliest Sampling
• The earliest personal
monitoring was done
with a manual pump,
hand-operated by a
second person
• The pump was
developed by the US
Bureau of Mines in
1937, and collected the
dust in a water medium
using impingers.
First Battery Operated Personal
Monitoring Pumps
• In 1957 the first battery
operated personal
pumps were used, made
under contract for the
US Bureau of Mines
• Sampling is now
collected onto filters,
using size selective
cyclones
Personal Pump History
• 1937- Hand operated pump for US coal mines
• 1957 – First battery operated personal monitoring pumps
used in US coal mines
• 1962 – Commercial pumps first sold in US & Europe
• 1973 – Low flow pump & sorbent tubes
• 1975 – Constant flow pumps
• 1976 – High/Low flow combo pumps
• 1980 – Digital calibrators
• 1982 – High/Low/Constant Flow pump
Personal Air Sampling Pumps
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Personal Pump High Flow
Flow rates from 1 to 5 LPM
Examples: Lead, Asbestos, Dust
Accessories: Filters, Cyclones, Impingers
MSHA 30 CFR Part 74
Coal Dust Sample Requirements
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Size and weight limitations
Air exhausts inside the case
On-off switch & flow control protected
Pulsation control
Battery operated & charged in place
Visual flow rate indicator
Flow control to +/- 5%
Personal High Flow Pump
Personal Air Sampling Pumps
Personal Pump Low Flow
• Flow Rates from 20 to 300cc/min
• Examples: Hydrocarbon Solvents
(Benzene) Chlorinated Solvents
(Methylene Chloride) & Alcohols
• Accessories: Sorbent Tubes
(Charcoal Tubes)
Personal Low Flow Pump
Personal Air Sampling Pumps
Constant Flow Control
• Works like the cruise control on a car
• Senses when the flow rate is trying to drop and speeds
up the pump
• Maintains the flow rate at ± 5% of set flow
Personal Air Sampling Pumps
Multi-flow Low Flow Pumps
• Constant pressure control allows two to four
simultaneous samples using special manifolds
• A constant low pressure level is maintained in the
connection tubing
• Flow rate is controlled with a needle valve on each tube
holder
Universal Tube Holder System
Constant Flow vs.
Constant Pressure
Sampling Accessories
Filter Cassettes
Impingers
Charcoal Tubes
Cyclone Samplers
Sorbent Tubes
Three-piece Filter Cassette
Personal Cyclone Sampler
Calibration Setup with
Filter Cassette
Air Sampling Pump Calibration
Primary Air Flow Calibrator
Measures airflow using a
Measured volume
Secondary Air Flow Calibrator
Gauge to measure flow.
Requires comparative validation
NIST Traceable
Documented trail to
National Institute for
Science & Technology
Cyclone Calibration Jar
Multi-flow Calibration
Back Pressure
Measuring Back Pressure
IH Timeline
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1939 – AIHA founded
1970 – OSHA, NIOSH, EPA
1984 – Asbestos Act
1990s – Industry downsizing
1999-2000 – Slow industry recovery
AIHA Membership
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1939 – 160 members
1970 – 1650 members
1980 – 5000 members
1985 – 6300 members
1991 – 10,000 members
1996 – 12,500 members
2011 - 10,240 members
Personal Pump Trends
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1960s – Make it work
1970s – Make it smaller
1980s – Add features
1990s – Better value
2000s – Make it smarter
www.Sensidyne.com
800-451-9444 / 727-530-3602