PCDD/Fs in ambient air: TSP and PM10 sampler comparison

In this work, a comparison of TSP and PM10 samplers has been carried out with the purpose of evaluating the compatibility of the PCDD/Fs measurements between them and to comply with the current EC directive (Council directive 1999/30/EC) that regulates the particulate matter content, expressed as PM10 (particulate matter <10 μm aerodynamic diameter) in ambient air due to their potential risk for human health. A total of 40 ambient air samples were collected for the analysis of PCDD/Fs from eight locations at different dates, using both TSP and PM10 samplers. Locations with diverse characteristic such as industrial, urban and traffic-affected zones were chosen. The results obtained in this work indicate that PCDD/F levels found using the TSP and PM10 sampling systems are comparable, or those from the latter are a bit lower, but these differences cannot be attributed to the sampling methodology.