Evaluation of aerosol lead measurement techniques using laboratory generated super-micrometer particles

High levels of lead in some occupational environments still exist. These include lead paint abatement sites, smelting operations, small arms firing ranges, and other construction scenarios. New emerging technologies provide the capability to provide an on-site alternative to conventional laboratory methods for airborne lead. In this paper we describe the evaluation of two such technologies using laboratory prepared lead-laden super-micron aerosol particles. Size measurements by TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer™ indicated the fluctuation of the peak particle sizes varying less than 1% among different runs for a given solution concentration. The content of lead embedded in the particles varied from 14 to 18% between runs of three different lead solution concentrations. A commercially available instrument for airborne lead measurement, AeroLead™, showed promise of becoming fully validated with the addition of design enhancements, although not fully validated by the end of the research program. Some of these areas being reworked by the manufacturer include working electrode issues, such as a more uniform surface area. Once these have been addressed, the manufacturer plans to complete the field and laboratory validation procedures. In a subsequent study, the ABF-LIPS results shown in this paper indicated that the technology could be used to quantify lead in aerosol form with a signal-to-noise ratio of three or larger of approximately 100 μg m−3 or higher quantity in a few minutes of measurement interval. The estimated detection limit for Pb using the ABF-LIPS prototype was approximately 60 μg m−3. In comparison the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) limit for Pb emission is 250 μg m−3.