Skip to main content
Log in

Performances and Application of a Passive Sampling Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide in Ambient Air

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The performances and applicability of a diffusion tubesampler for the simultaneous measurements of NO2 andSO2 in ambient air were evaluated. SO2 andNO2are collected by the passive sampler using triethanolamine astrapping agent and are determined as sulphate and nitrite withion chromatography. The detection limit (2.3 μg m-3 ofNO2 and 4.2 μg m-3 of SO2 for two weekssampling) is adequate for the determination of concentrationsin urban and industrial areas. Precision of the method as RSDis in mean 5% for NO2 and 12% for SO2 at theconcentration levels in urban areas. Calibration of the methodwas performed in the field conditions by comparison between theresponses of sampler and the concentrations measured by thecontinuous monitors. High degree of linearity (correlationcoefficients > 0.8) is found between the passive sampler tubeand the continuous monitor data for both NO2 and SO2.To reduce the wind velocity influence on passive sampling ofdiffusion tubes, a protective shelter was tested in this study.The overall uncertainty of one measure for the optimised methodis estimated at 5 μg m-3 for NO2 and 6μg m-3 for SO2. Suitability of this passivesampling method for air pollution monitoring in urban areas wasdemonstrated by the results shown in this paper on a campaigncarried out in the French agglomeration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armstrong, M.: 1998, Basic Linear Geostatistics, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkins, D. H. F. and Quirino, I.: 1992, ‘A Survey of Nitrogen Dioxide in Paris’, Report of Commission of the European Communities EUR 13369 EN, Bruxelles.

  • Campbell, G. W., Stedman, J. R. and Stevenson, K.: 1994, ‘A survey of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the United Kingdom using diffusion tubes’, Atmos. Environ. 28, 477–486.

    Google Scholar 

  • Della Massa, J. P., Gerbolès, M. and Payrissat, M.: 1994, ‘Etude de la distribution du dioxyde d'Azote dans l'agglomeration Toulousaine par la méthode des échantillonneurs passifs’, Report of Commission of the European Communities EUR 15567 FR, Bruxelles.

  • De Saeger, E., Gerbolès, M. and Payrissat, M.: 1991, ‘La surveillance du dioxyde d'Azote á Madrid au moyen d'échantillonneurs passifs’, Report of Commission of the European Communities EUR 14175 FR, Bruxelles.

  • De Saeger, E., Gerbolès, M., Pérez Ballesta, P., Amantini, L., Payrissat, M.: 1995, ‘Air Quality Measurements in Brussels (1993¶1994) ¶ NO2 and BTX Monitoring Campaigns by Diffusive Samplers’, Report of Commission of the European Communities EUR 16310 EN, Bruxelles.

  • De Santis, F., Allegrini, I., Fazio, M. C., Pasella, D. and Piredda, R.: 1997, ‘Development of a passive sampling technique for the determination of nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide in ambient air’, Anal. Chim. Acta 346, 127–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gair, A. J., Penkett, S. A. and Oyola, P.: 1991, ‘Development of a simple passive technique for the determination of nitrogen dioxide in remote continental locations’, Atmos. Environ. 25A, 1927–1939.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gair, A. J. and Penkett, S. A.: 1995, ‘The effects of wind speed and turbulence on the performance of diffusion tube samplers’, Atmos. Environ. 29, 2529–2533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, K. J.: 1989, ‘The Development and Application of Diffusion Tubes for Air Pollution Measurement’, Ph.D. thesis, University of Nottingham.

  • Kanevsky M., Chernov, S. and Demyanov, V.: 1995, ‘Upfile User's Guide’, COMETT'95, Lausanne University of Lausanne.

  • Kasper-Giebl, A. and Puxbaum, H.: 1999, ‘Deposition of particulate matter in diffusion tube samplers for the determination of NO2 and SO2’, Atmos. Environ. 33, 1323–1326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krochmal, D. and Kalina, A.: 1997, A method of nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide determination in ambient air by use of passive samplers and ion chromatography’, Atmos. Environ. 31, 3473–3479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loi no. 96¶1236 sur l'air et l'utilisation rationnelle de l'énergie: 1997, Journal Officiel de la République Française du 1er Janvier 1997, Paris: 11–18.

  • Monn, C. and Hangartner, M.: 1989, ‘Ozone Passive Sampling Tubes for Ambient Monitoring’, 82th Annual APCA Meeting, Anaheim CA, Paper 89¶29.6.

  • Palmes, E. D. and Gunnison, A. F.: 1973, ‘Personal monitoring device for gaseous contaminants’, Amer. Indust. Hyg. Assoc. J. 34, 78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmes, E. D., Gunnison, A. F., Dimattio, J. and Tomezyk, C.: 1976, ‘Personal sampler for nitrogen dioxide’, Amer. Indust. Hyg. Assoc. J. 37, 570–577.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saporta, G.: 1990, ‘Probabilités analyse des données et statistique’, Editions Technip, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheeren, B. A., Santis, F. de, Allegrini, I. et Heeres, P.: 1994, ‘Monitoring SO2 with passive samplers: a laboratory evaluation of Na2CO3 and triethanolamine as absorbing media’, Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 56, 73–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shooter, D., Brimblecombe, P., Shooter, J., Lowe, D., Day, P. J. and Du, S.: 1997, ‘Some characteristics and applications of nitrogen dioxide passive samplers’, Environ. Technol. 18, 243–254.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Plaisance.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Plaisance, H., Sagnier, I., Saison, J.Y. et al. Performances and Application of a Passive Sampling Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide in Ambient Air. Environ Monit Assess 79, 301–315 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020205230396

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020205230396

Keywords

Navigation