Extracting dust from soil: Improved efficiency of a previously published process

A previously published procedure describing how to simply and cheaply extract a sufficient quantity of dust particles sized smaller than 10 μm (PM10) from soil to be used in air quality analysis has been modified and improved. These modifications are described in detail and are significant because they will enable extraction of a greater quantity of the PM10 fraction for a given soil sample, in less time and without the need for building specialised equipment. Less water is also used in the modified procedure, and thus a smaller risk of dissolution of metals of interest.