sampling

The use of house dust is studied to identify sources and quantify levels of toxicants for the estimation of exposure. Sampling strategies were examined, just as uncertainty and lack of knowledge. The presentation of the results of sampling is also discussed. This article describes case studies.

The changes in occurrence and the distribution of airborne fungi when they are transported in the airstream from the outdoor air to the indoor air are not well-known. For that study, fungal samples were tested in different locations in the HVAC systems with a six-stage Andersen Sampler with malt extract agar. The results showed that the fungal species changed according to those locations.

This paper presents a method to determine the amount of oil residues in HVAC components surfaces. That method has been validated. It appears that the oil concentration of studied HVAC components depends on the technique used for their manufacturing.

A total of 20 toxic, carcinogenic, or mutagenic organic compounds were measured in the air and drinking water of 355 residents of Bayonne and Elizabeth. New Jersey, in the fall of 1981. The participants were selected from over 10,000 residents screened by a probability sampling technique to represent 128,000 persons (over the age of seven) who live in the two neighboring cities. Over one hμndred geographic areas throughout the two Cities were selected for monitoring. Each participant carried a personal sampler with him during his normal daily activities for two consecutive 12-h periods.

This project dealt with developing the method of using activated carbon cloth as a sampler for measuring volatile organic compounds (VOC's) in air. Strips of carbon cloth mounted in slide holders were tested as diffusive samplers. These were exposed to known concentrations of standard chemicals in test chambers. The adsorbed chemicals were extracted with sol vents and analyzed. The tests showed that relative humidity has some effect on adsorption, and carbon cloths from different manufacturers showed some variation in their performance.