Modelling of the uptake rate of the nitrogen dioxide Palmes diffusive sampler based on the effect of environmental factors

Abstract

The influence of environmental parameters on the uptake rate of the nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) Palmes diffusive sampler was investigated. The main factors affecting the uptake rate were found to be wind speed, the preponderant factor, followed by relative humidity and temperature. The NO₂ concentration and exposure time, as well as the interactions among the factors were not found to have a significant influence on the uptake rate of the Palmes sampler. As a result, a model able to predict the uptake rate of the Palmes sampler was established. In addition, by using the model-predicted uptake rate, the agreement between chemiluminescence and the Palmes sampler during the field tests was improved. The NO₂ Palmes diffusive sampler was shown to comply with the requirement on accuracy defined by the European Directive for the indicative methods of measurements.