Public Lab Research note


Whole Air Sampling

by kgradow1 | May 30, 2020 01:23 30 May 01:23 | #23739 | #23739

Whole air sampling is typically done with canisters or Tedlar bags to take a "snapshot" of an entire air sample and test for chemicals that may be present. Grab sampling is a form of whole air sampling. Whole air samplers test for gases and are often used to sample volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

What is whole air sampling?

  • Whole air samplers measure gas phase chemicals
  • Whole air samplers typically test for 40-100 different chemicals
  • Whole air samples are often used as a diagnostic tool to narrow down what you are looking for

How is whole air sampling different from sorbent tube sampling?

image description

When would you need a whole air sample?

  • Identifying an unknown smell: You smell something noxious and want to do a test
  • Risk assessment and hazard mitigation: You're concerned there's something bad in the air
  • Narrowing the scope: You're not sure what you're looking for and want to test for a wide range
  • Ambient air monitoring: You want to take a baseline air sample for a given area

References and further reading

Eurofins Guide to Air Sampling: Canisters and Bags (2014). Website. Retrieved from https://www.eurofinsus.com/media/161448/guide-to-air-sampling-analysis-2014-06-27_revised-logos.pdf. SKC Ltd Step by Step Guide: An Introduction to Air Sampling (2019). Website. Retrieved from https://www.skcltd.com/images/pdfs/224-G1.pdf. Restek Technical Guide: A Guide to Whole Air Canister Sampling (2010). Website. Retrieved from https://www.restek.com/pdfs/EVTG1073A.pdf

This post is part of the Bucket Monitor project.

For more information, see our introduction and project overview.

Subscribe to the tag "bucket-monitor" to get updates when we post new material.

Subscribe to get updates on this project

Image credit USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency


I did this Help out by offering feedback!


People who did this (0)

None yet. Be the first to post one!


0 Comments

Login to comment.