Particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter (PM 10) This type of sampling usually takes place at 6-day intervals due to the need to manually change the filters. The design of the air inlet means that a TSP high volume air sampler is unlikely to collect airborne particles with diameters greater than 100 micrometres (µm) in diameter. Metals can also be monitored continuously using an XACT instrument. If required, the particulate matter retained on the filter is analysed to determine the concentration of pollutants, such as lead or other metals. Dividing the mass by the volume of air sampled gives the concentration of TSP. Illustration of a total suspended particulate matter samplerĪfter sampling, the filter is re-weighed and the difference in filter weight is the collected particulate matter mass.
