Performances of the CIP 10-M personal sampler: new laboratory and field investigations

The CIP 10-M personal sampler is used to assess worker exposure to airborne particles by collecting them in a rotating metal cup containing a few milliliters of a collection fluid. Although used by many teams in the world, the particle-collection efficiency of the rotating cup has not been extensively studied, and the only data available relate to a discontinued model (Görner et al, 2006). Field-based comparisons of CIP 10-M measurements with other samplers are also limited. Our results indicated that unlike aqueous liquids such as water or PBS, which completely evaporate after a few hours of sampling, viscous liquids such as mineral oil do not evaporate, making 8-h sampling campaigns in constant volumes feasible. Collection efficiency was unaffected by the type (aqueous or viscous) or volume (between 0 and 3 mL) of collection fluid used. Bias maps indicated that the inhalable fraction may be underestimated, particularly with aerosols mainly composed of particles with dae of less than around 3 µm. The performances of the CIP 10-M in different occupational atmospheres and its capacity to ensure preservation of the biological properties of the particles sampled mainly depended on the aerosol size distribution and the type of airborne microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, species, etc.).