To provide assurance that industrial workers are not exposed to hazardous air, continuous personal monitoring is frequently performed by drawing an air sample through a particulate collection device that is worn in the breathing zone of the worker and connected through a flexible tube to a belt-mounted air pump. Currently, the procedure has several drawbacks including possible erroneous measurement caused by occlusion of the tube, a requirement for setting the flow rate before each use of the pump, and the need for frequent calibration. This project will develop an improved programmable air sampling system (PASS) that overcomes the limitations of existing devices in monitoring the concentration of particulates to which a worker is personally exposed during a work shift. In Phase I, a design and preliminary specifications covering all components of the system were generated. Endurance stability tests of experimental pump assemblies were conducted which demonstrated long term calibration stability. Two modular systems conforming to the specifications were built. Each system comprises a separable sampler pump module, an analog control module, and a battery module and provides a usable range of flow rates. Phase II will complete the development of engineering prototypes of the PASS, which will include a microcomputerized digital control/data module and a separate programmer/ datalogger. The latter will remotely insert operating instructions and reed out measured end calculated values from the digital module. Phase II will result in completely tested, pre-manufacturing PASS prototypes.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: PASS will provide non-adjustable, non-accessible, tamper-proof air samplers that will save time and effort and improve data, so as to facilitate expanded surveys of exposure to particulates in Government facilities, as well as in plants and mines.
