Peculiarities ofLycopodiumspores sampling from the ambient atmosphere: physical effects and problems of representativeness

Abstract

The process of aspiration of monodisperse Lycopodium spores (d = 32 μm) from the weakly disturbed atmosphere and the calm air into aerosol samplers of various designs was experimentally investigated. Besides, some qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the interaction of spores with inner surfaces of sampling lines were studied, three experimental installations being employed. Thin- and thick-walled cylindrical probes, their inner diameters being 0.3–1.5 cm and their length being 10–50 cm, as well as probes of other geometries were used in the experiments. The flow rate varied from 1 to 1000 cm³ s⁻¹; the mean wind speed value varied from 0 to 2 m s⁻¹. Some regularities of sampling of air-spores were obtained. The aerosol concentration distortions caused by particle inertia and rebound as well as the wall loss effect were determined. The analysis is provided with a number of practical recommendations for sampling air spores into probes of aerosol measurement devices.