Performance evaluation of the portable MiniVOL particulate matter sampler

The MiniVOL sampler is a popular choice for use in air quality assessments because it is portable and inexpensive relative to fixed site monitors. However, little data exist on the performance characteristics of the sampler. The reliability, precision, and comparability of the portable MiniVOL PM10 and PM2.5 sampler under typical ambient conditions are described in this paper. Results indicate that the MiniVOL (a) operated reliably and (b) yielded statistically similar concentration measurements when co-located with another MiniVOL (r2=0.96 for PM10 measurements and r2=0.95 for PM2.5 measurements). Thus, the characterization of spatial distributions of PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations with the MiniVOL can be accomplished with a high level of confidence. The MiniVOL also produced statistically comparable results when co-located with a Dichotomous Sampler (r2=0.83 for PM10 measurements and r2=0.85 for PM2.5 measurements) and a continuous mass sampling system (r2=0.90 for PM10 measurements). Environmental factors such as ambient concentration, wind speed, temperature, and humidity may influence the relative measurement comparability between these sampling systems.