Project Title
Field calibration of passive air samplers to estimate environmental concentrations and dry deposition rates of prioritized chemicals in contrasting regions of Chile
Partner Organisations
University of Chile
Internal ID
1251574
Principal Investigator
Carlos Manzano
Type
basic research
Status
VIGENTE
Start Date
April 1, 2025
End Date
April 1, 2028
Investigators
Organisations
Description
Measuring the concentration of chemicals of concern (organic and toxic elements) is relevant, particularly in
remote areas that can be affected by long-range transport of contaminants, and in which the use of traditional
samplers (that use electricity) is limited. Additionally, the flux of chemical pollutants from the atmosphere to
the earth surface, which can happen mainly via wet and dry deposition, and the estimation of these rates is
important to assess the loadings of contaminants to environments that may be at risk
There are two well-known types of air sampling: active sampling and passive sampling. The former involves
pumps and pulling air through a sample collecting media, while the latter is mainly diffusion-based. However,
the results obtained with these two techniques are not always comparable. Passive air sampling (PAS)
methods represent a unique opportunity to establish a large and reliable monitoring network that will include
not only urban sites, but also remote and sensible areas of Chile where electrical connections are not available
for traditional methods.
Several advantages have been identified in the use of PAS methods: simplicity, low-cost, simultaneous
measurements, and long-term monitoring campaigns. However, there are a few weak points that need to be
addressed before using PAS methods for regulatory proposes: calibration, sampling rates, and partition
coefficients.
Our main objectives in this proposal derive from the need of relevant information regarding the known
limitations of PAS methods, and the need to estimate dry deposition rates in contrasting and sensible regions
of Chile with very different meteorological characteristics: 1) the dry Atacama Desert, 2) the heavily
populated urban centers in the Metropolitan Region, and 3) the cold and rainy southern regions. These three
sampling sites would help understanding the effect of strong winds, high humidity, or excessively dry
conditions on passive sampling and dry deposition rates.
We will use three versions of PAS with polyurethane foam as the collecting substrate: the PAS-GAPs, the
PAS-DD, and the Indoor-PAS. This will generate the first dataset containing sampling rates for these three
types of samplers, in addition to providing partition coefficients and dry deposition rates for semi-volatile
organic chemicals and toxic elements in Chile.
In phase 1, the samplers will be co-deployed with traditional active methods to perform a field calibration
and derive important parameters such as sampling rate and partition coefficients, which are chemical specific
and are strongly affected by meteorological factors. Phase 2 is a larger scale sampling campaign and will be
completed to assess the concentration of organic chemicals and toxic elements in the air, using the
parameters derived in phase 1, and estimate their dry deposition rates.
remote areas that can be affected by long-range transport of contaminants, and in which the use of traditional
samplers (that use electricity) is limited. Additionally, the flux of chemical pollutants from the atmosphere to
the earth surface, which can happen mainly via wet and dry deposition, and the estimation of these rates is
important to assess the loadings of contaminants to environments that may be at risk
There are two well-known types of air sampling: active sampling and passive sampling. The former involves
pumps and pulling air through a sample collecting media, while the latter is mainly diffusion-based. However,
the results obtained with these two techniques are not always comparable. Passive air sampling (PAS)
methods represent a unique opportunity to establish a large and reliable monitoring network that will include
not only urban sites, but also remote and sensible areas of Chile where electrical connections are not available
for traditional methods.
Several advantages have been identified in the use of PAS methods: simplicity, low-cost, simultaneous
measurements, and long-term monitoring campaigns. However, there are a few weak points that need to be
addressed before using PAS methods for regulatory proposes: calibration, sampling rates, and partition
coefficients.
Our main objectives in this proposal derive from the need of relevant information regarding the known
limitations of PAS methods, and the need to estimate dry deposition rates in contrasting and sensible regions
of Chile with very different meteorological characteristics: 1) the dry Atacama Desert, 2) the heavily
populated urban centers in the Metropolitan Region, and 3) the cold and rainy southern regions. These three
sampling sites would help understanding the effect of strong winds, high humidity, or excessively dry
conditions on passive sampling and dry deposition rates.
We will use three versions of PAS with polyurethane foam as the collecting substrate: the PAS-GAPs, the
PAS-DD, and the Indoor-PAS. This will generate the first dataset containing sampling rates for these three
types of samplers, in addition to providing partition coefficients and dry deposition rates for semi-volatile
organic chemicals and toxic elements in Chile.
In phase 1, the samplers will be co-deployed with traditional active methods to perform a field calibration
and derive important parameters such as sampling rate and partition coefficients, which are chemical specific
and are strongly affected by meteorological factors. Phase 2 is a larger scale sampling campaign and will be
completed to assess the concentration of organic chemicals and toxic elements in the air, using the
parameters derived in phase 1, and estimate their dry deposition rates.
Keywords
Fields of Science and Technology (OECD)
Natural sciences
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