Air Sampling in Medicine - Essay Example

Air sampling al affiliation) Introduction Air sampling is the process that entails collecting and analyzing samples of air to measure the amount different pollutants, air’s reactivity as well as substances that can be found in the air. The monitoring of the quality of air is often done by the use of analytical methods and specialized equipments to establish the concentration of the pollutants in the air. Air monitors are often controlled by the researchers and the regulatory bodies with the aim of investigating the effect of air pollution as well as the quality of air. It is often of essence to collect information on quantitative and qualitative data on the local sources of air pollution, land use pattern, topography as well as monitoring the sources of pollution that may be situated at a far distance. Personal sampling is one of the types of air sampling that is utilized to measure and detect exposures (Panacek & Thompson, 2007). It is often used to determine the quality of air that a person for examples a worker would breathe if not protected. Real time sampling is also called direct read sampling and involves utilizing direct reading instruments to measure immediate exposure to the pollutants in the air. The sampling methods involve utilization of various equipments and often depend on the potential hazard that is present at a particular time. It includes but not limited to flammable atmosphere, noise, heat, radiation, oxygen, dust, vapor and gases. Why air sampling is done The most significant reason for conducting an air sampling is to ensure the safety of individual and employees at their place of work by assessing the content of contaminants in the air and their immediate and long term effect. High level of contaminants can result to direct and fatal effects to individuals at their place of work. Contaminants that exist at a lower level can result to more gradual development of diseases and illnesses as a result of the accumulation of toxins or contaminants in the human bodies. It is therefore important to conduct an air sampling especially in industries that are associated with the emissions of chemicals as a way of ensuring that both the workers and the people in the neighboring environment are protected from the hazard. Air sampling procedure is also significant in monitoring the amount of hazardous contaminants which are released into the environment and could have a far reaching effect on the surrounding wildlife, vegetation and waterways (Kenoyer, 2009). Apart from protecting the environment and workers at their place of work, conducting an air sampling can be effective in determining the kind of protective clothing that can be selected to boost the safety of the workers and other people in the environment. Air sampling is also important in educating the workers and other people in the community on the ways of reducing exposure as well as determines the sources of leaks that can be identified to prevent future exposures. Air sampling methods together with the equipments used are significant in developing and maintaining the health atmosphere in industries that are associated with emissions of gases and other contaminants such as chemicals (Kenoyer, 2009). Overview of air sampling Air sampling is a process that is often mentioned in indoor environment and industrial work places. The process often targets sites that are often associated with emission of chemicals and other contaminants that are dangerous to the health of an individual. Air sampling can understood as a process of analyzing and detecting the varieties and the quantities of contaminants in a particular environment. The sampling process is often carried by utilizing sampling devices that evaluates and measure a sample or many different samples of the atmospheric air. Some of the hazards that are considered harmful and dangerous to the human life are man-made chemical compounds such as vapors and gases or particulates of liquid and solid that is found in the air. The most important contaminants to be measured during air sampling are the particular rate and can appear as smoke, dust or mist (Addlesee, 2010). How air sampling is done Air sampling is conducted depending on the contaminant of concern. Air samples may be collected by utilizing several techniques which includes impinger sampling, solid sorbent sampling, whole air sampling and the filter sampling. Whole air sampling is the simplest mean of air sampling that involves collecting air in sample canister or bag. The sample technique is effective for the collection of permanent gases that includes methane, nitrogen and oxygen gases, and volatile organic compounds as well as reduced sulfur compounds. Solid sorbent sampling entails drawing air through a tube that has been filled with a sorbent material that is solid (Napoli, 2012). Air contaminants are often adsorbed chemically onto the material. This sampling technique is often important for collection of numerous volatile organic compounds as well as semi-volatile organic compounds including the aldehyde, amines, ammonia, carboxylic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydro carbons. A personal sampling pump is often required in conduction of an active solid sorbent sampling. Impinger air sampling technique entails utilizing liquid impingers in sampling some airborne contaminants. The procedure is usually conducted in the same manner as the solid sorbent sampling and is often conducted when contaminants of concern in the react chemically with a solution in an aqueous state as the sample air sample is passed through the liquid. The method is often utilized in measuring various components such as hydrogen halide and was historically utilized for the monitoring of contaminants such as ammonia and aldehyde at the place of work. Filter sampling involves collection of contaminants in the vapor form by utilizing equipment that is known as the filter cassettes. The filter media must be chemically treated in order to collect the vapor forms of the contaminants. Filter sampling is often utilized for inorganic species such as metals and particulate matter. The procedure utilized personal sampling pump as used in the solid sorbent sampling. Evaluating air sampling After the completion of the initial development experiment, the analysis and the sampling approach has to be evaluated to ensure that the data which was collected is accurate and reliable. Determining the accurate result is important basing the impact of contaminants on the health of the human beings. The first step of evaluation entails recuperating the analyte from the medium. The ability to recover the analyte is often determined in the process (Scharth & Kohn, 2012). The second step is the determining the stability of the analyte on the sampling medium that was previously collected. The third evaluation technique involves determining the stability of the sampling medium before the results are utilized in the process with the last technique involving generalization of the sample and identifying the sampling stability before the results accurate results are officially determined. Literature review According to Napoli (2012), environmental matrices that include air, water and surfaces can act as reservoirs for microbes that are associated with infections. This often occurs in health facilities where patients are more susceptive to complications that are infective in nature. Various scientific interventions have aimed at reducing the contaminants that can affect the health of the patients as well as other individuals in their place of work. In the hospital, for example, it is often important to monitor the level of micro-organisms in the air so as to enable the medical practitioner to ensure the patients and other individuals are protected. Active air sampling in the hospital environment helps to o determine the level of the disease causing micro-organism and therefore intervening to prevent immediate and long term effects. Air sampling should not only be conducted in the hospital but also in other environments that have potential risks of high level of contaminants in the air such as industries associated with chemical emissions. References Addlesee, A. (2010). Advances in air sampling. Endeavour, 13(2), 93-94. doi:10.1016/0160-9327(89)90013-6 Kenoyer, J. (2009). Technical Exchange: Air Sampling Instrument Performance. The Synergist, 12(1), 25. doi:10.3320/1.2928382 Napoli, C. (2012). Prevention of healthcare-associated infections: which sampling method should be used to evaluate air bio-contamination in operating rooms. Epidemiol, 2, e106. Panacek, E., & Thompson, C. (2007). Sampling methods: Selecting your subjects. Air Medical Journal, 26(2), 75-78. doi:10.1016/j.amj.2007.01.001 Scharth, M., & Kohn, R. (2012). Particle Efficient Importance Sampling. SSRN Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2331232 Read More