Air-O-Cell® air quality particle samplers were developed primarily for the assessment of bio-aerosols, mold spores and pollen. They are also used in the analysis of other types of airborne particles. As an inertial impaction collector, particles are caught in an optically clear sticky sampling medium layered on a glass coverslip. Electron microscopy was attempted on samples of indoor air particles collected with the Air-O-Cell® sampler. It was determined that scanning electron microscopy with X-ray analysis could be performed on particles including those opaque in the light microscope. Quantitative work was difficult because the sticky medium distorted under the electron beam. Particles caught in the sticky material could be extracted in alcohol and prepared for transmission electron microscopy but no small particles (less than 1 um) were found.
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