Electrostatic precipitator to collect large quantities of particulate matter

Abstract

____________________________________________ Elizabeth A. Stone ____________________________________________ Michael Mackey ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank my family, who have funded my education and been supportive of my career choices. I also appreciate all the help I have received from my research advisor Dr. Thomas Peters. Dr. Peters provided me with guidance throughout my thesis writing process and experimentations. Dr. Peters has introduced me to an unprecedented level of aerosol science research that I was not aware existed prior to joining his laboratory. I would like to thank my collaborator on this paper Dr. Sinan Sousan, who has assisted me with all my experiments in addition to providing constructive feedback in all my research endeavors. Dr. Sousan was also critical in my successful completion of experiments. Without his knowledge of aerosol measuring instruments and his troubleshooting experience, I may not have completed my experiments in a timely manner. I would also like to thank Changjie Cai, a PhD candidate in my laboratory, for assisting me with my calculations and for allowing me to contact him with my questions. Lastly, I would like to thank my laboratory colleagues Larissa, Kate, Jae, Kevin, Alyson, Laura, and Theresa, who have been very patient in helping me understand occupational and environmental hygiene material. The friendship they have shown me made my research experience enjoyable despite frequent setbacks.iii ABSTRACT Traditional aerosol samplers are limited in their abilities to collect large quantities of particulate matter due to their low flow rates, high pressure drops, and are noise intrusiveness. The goal of this study was to develop an alternate aerosol sampler using electrostatic precipitation technology that was safe and not noise intrusive to be deployed in homes. The O-Ion B-1000 was selected as the most suitable electrostatic precipitator (ESP) for achieving the goal of this study because of its affordability, the design of its collection electrode and its high flow rate. The collection efficiency of the ESP was assessed for three aerosols; Arizona Road Dust (ARD), NaCl and diesel fumes. ARD was found to have the highest average collection efficiency (65%) followed by NaCl (43%) and lastly diesel fumes (41%).A method for recovering the particulate matter deposited on the collection electrode was developed. The dust collected on the electrode was recovered onto polyvinyl chloride (PVC) filters moistened with deionized water. Additionally, the recovery of the three test aerosols, ARD, NaCl, and diesel fumes, from the collection electrode was assessed. A gravimetric analysis was done to determine the amount of dust recovered. The collection efficiency was used to calculate the amount of mass expected on the filter for a particular aerosol. NaCl had the highest recovery at 95% recovery, followed by ARD (73%) and lastly diesel fumes (50%). Two identical ESPs were also deployed in an office and in a bedroom, 104.47 mg and 9.64 mg of particulate matter (PM)...

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“…We requested that the ESP be placed in the room most frequently occupied by study participants, typically the living room. ESP particle collection efficiency using our method varies depending on the type and size of a particle, with water soluble particles preferentially recovered; however, the OION ESP particle collection efficiency for a typical outdoor contaminant (Arizona road dust) is 65% (26).…”

“…The ESP generated 0.036 mg/min of ozone, and at a ventilation rate of 230 L/min the ESP would not exceed NAAQS exposure limits. All homes participating had active ventilation systems in place (26).…”

“…ESP collection plates are flat, which enables easy PM recovery. Twenty-one ESPs were wiped with eight wet (DI H 2 O) PVC filters (26). These filters were allowed to dry at least 72 h, then weighed and chemically analyzed using a microwave digestion methodology, with modified parameters to increase the recovery of metal analytes (27,28).…”