Standardization News

While monitoring air quality is important in many situations, a variety of different quantitative passive samplers are available for such work. A proposed new ASTM International standard, WK45755, Guide for Selection of Quantitative Passive Samplers for Volatile Organic Compounds in Air, will help users decide which air sampler type will best suit their needs.

WK45755 will cover issues such as the geometry of a specific sampler, as well as the sorbent choice, sampling time, concentration of target species and sampling environment. Potential users of samplers do not currently have a guide for which type of samplers to deploy, often leading to misuse and incorrect data reporting.

"There are many factors to consider when determining the type of sampler to user, such as environment deployed, concentration of target compounds and the type of target compound, among others," says ASTM member Nicola Watson, environmental specialist, Markes International. "There is currently no guide available that goes through the points to consider when choosing a device, and no one device is suitable for every type of sampling scenario."

Devices covered in WK45755 are used as a cost effective way to sample volatile organic compounds in indoor and ambient environments quantify concentrations of compounds of concern. Typical applications of the samplers are monitoring air around chemical plants/refineries in fence line studies. In addition, samplers are used for indoor air modeling, personal monitoring and soil gas monitoring for land remediation. Laboratories, consultants and government agencies will be primary users of WK45755.

WK45755 is being developed by Subcommittee D22.05 on Indoor Air, part of ASTM International Committee D22 on Air Quality. All interested parties are invited to participate in the development of WK45755.

CONTACT Technical Information: Nicola Watson, Markes International • Loveland, Ohio • Phone: 513-488-6161 | ASTM Staff: Jeffrey Adkins • Phone: 610-832-9738 | Upcoming Meeting: Oct. 5-8 • October Committee Week • New Orleans, La.