Nitrogen dioxide is a nasty smelling important air pollutant in urban areas and cities. It contributes to the formation of smog and can severely impact human health if exceeding a certain concentration. Major sources of nitrogen dioxide are the burning of fossil fuels, motor vehicle exhaust, petrol and metal refining, electricity generation and other manufacturing industries.
Long term sampling
The passive samplers to measure nitrogen dioxide are based on the principle of the NO2 diffusion onto the absorbent triethanolamine. The collected NO2 is then determined spectrophotometrically by the well-established Saltzmann method. Being designed for running without power supply, the samplers are optimized to operate in challenging environments.
The passive sampler to measure nitrogen dioxide in the long term, i.e. 1 to 4 weeks, consist of a polypropylene tube and is placed in a special shelter to protect it from meteorological disturbances of all kinds.