Joseph Herbert on tue 12 nov 02
There is a kind of industry that surrounds the idea of air sampling. EPA
and OSHA set limits on dust in air on a time weighted basis. To show they
comply, companies buy and run air samplers. these are air pumps that draw a
constant volume of air per time unit through a paper filter. At appropriate
times, someone collects the filter and examines it. That examination could
be something as simple as weighing it or weighing the residue after burning,
or as complex as microscopic or scanning electron microscopy. anyway, I
think you could easily find someone who would sample your air and report the
result for a fee.
If you don't feel like paying a fee, look for a dead air space that is
usually not cleaned. top of a book shelf where books are not often moved, a
sculpture in the corner that hasn't been moved, the inside of a light
fixture. If you find a thick layer (actually any kind of recognizable
layer) anywhere hidden away, you don't have to hire the sampler. You could
just make a box with a 1 inch hole in the side and white paper in the
bottom. set the box up somewhere and wait a month. open it and look at the
paper. Not quantitative but it could make you want to hire that sampling
company. Look under air quality in your yellow pages.
Joe
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