How do I know how much of chemical “X” the sorbent tube can collect?
Sampler capacity is a conservative estimate of the total mass of contaminant which can be collected on the sampling media with loss or overloading. For gases and vapors, NIOSH has defined sampler capacity as two-thirds of the experimental breakthrough capacity of the solid sorbent, i.e. 67% of the mass of contaminant on the sorbent at the breakthrough volume. For easy reference, consult the method to determine the working range of the method in ppm and in ug per sample. Keep in mind, however, that capacity can be reduced by the presence of other compounds and water vapor that may also be adsorbed onto the sampling media.
