Exposure assessment of nanosized engineered agglomerates and aggregates using Nuclepore filter

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology 2013-10, Vol.15 (10), p.1-15, Article 1955
• Main Authors: Chen, Sheng-Chieh, Wang, Jing, Fissan, Heinz, Pui, David Y. H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agglomerates; Assessments; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Collection; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition; Exact sciences and technology; Inorganic Chemistry; Interception; Lasers; Materials Science; Nanocomposites; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Optical Devices; Optics; Penetration; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Research Paper
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-013-1955-0

Nuclepore filter collection with subsequent electron microscopy analysis for nanosized agglomerates (20–500 nm in mobility diameter) was carried out to examine the feasibility of the method to assess the personal engineered nanoparticle exposure. The number distribution of the nanoparticles collected on the filter surface was obtained by visual counting and converted to the distribution in the air using validated capillary tube models. The model was validated by studying the overall penetrations of nanoparticles (Ag and soot) with different agglomeration degrees through 1 μm pore diameter Nuclepore filters at different face velocities (2–15 cm/s). In the model, the effects of the maximum length of agglomerates on interception deposition and the dynamic shape factor on impaction deposition were taken into account. Results showed that the data of the overall penetration were in very good agreement with the properly applied models. A good agreement of filter surface collection between the validated model and the SEM analysis of this study was obtained, indicating a correct particle number distribution in the air can be converted from the Nuclepore filter surface collection and this method can be applied for quantitative engineered nanoparticle exposure assessment.