A comparison of PAH emission sampling methods (cyclone, impactor) in particulate and gaseous phase

Abstract

Four different domestic heating boilers and four types of fuel (lignite, wet wood, wood pellets and mixed fuel) were tested, and the emissions of the particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were correlated. Dekati low-pressure impactor (DLPI, Dekati) sorting of the PM fractions into PM0.1, PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 was used to determine the emission factors of the PAHs in a dilution tunnel via isokinetic sampling and was compared with a cyclone (Tecora). The 4 PAHs were mostly detected on the fine particles of PM1 in the DLPI and on the fine particles of PM2.5 in the cyclone, and in some cases, they were mainly detected in polyurethane foam (PUF) used for the collection of the gas phase placed behind the DLPI and cyclone. The effectiveness of DLPI sampling was generally comparable or lower than the cyclone sampling of the range 0.01–1.33 mg kg–1.