A New Air Sampler based on Electrically Charged Liquid Nanodroplets

A new pager-size air sampling device is described. Electrically charged liquid nanodroplets are produced using an electrospray source. The droplets transfer charge onto any polar or polarizable air contaminants and do not transfer charge onto non-polar species such as diatomic nitrogen and oxygen. The electrically charged contaminants are then collected and concentrated using an electric field for subsequent analysis.