Sampling settled dust from the floors of classrooms and offices

Protocol for Sampling Floor Dust

• 
  LI’L HUMMER Vacuum (Miracle Marketing Corp.)
  
• 
  Vacuum filter sock (Midwest Filtration Company, 9775 International Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45246)
  
• 
  Two wooden carpenter rulers
  
• 
  Nitrile gloves
  
• 
  Isopropyl alcohol wipes
  
• 
  Binder clip
  
• 
  Plastic zip loc bag
  

1. 
   Place a thermometer/hygrometer on a desktop of the sampling station.
   
2. 
   Mark down 4 corners of 2 m² floor areas (55.1 inches by 55.1 inches gives 2 m²) using duct tape within the cubicle where their chair is normally positioned around
   
3. 
   Put on a new pair of disposable nitrile gloves and prepare a new and clean crevice tool.
   
4. 
   Wipe around the rim of the end of the vacuum extension rod with an isopropyl alcohol wipe and be sure alcohol has completely evaporated before continuing.
   
5. 
   Fold vacuum sock in half longwise. Insert the filter part (white part) of the vacuum sock into vacuum extension rod and flip down the fabric part (blue part) of the sock around the outside of the rod. Make sure the filter part should be up to the top of the extension rod.
   
6. 
   Put the clean crevice tool over the filter, making sure it is secure (do not twist on otherwise the filter may rip). Use a new and clean crevice tool for each sample.
   
7. 
   Vacuum measured 2 square meter area of carpet for 5 minutes. Use stop watch to measure the time.
   
8. 
   Move crevice tool within 2 m² area on the floor surface by following vacuuming patterns below;
   
   1. 
      First, horizontal direction (left to right) for 1.5 minutes
      
   2. 
      Second, vertical direction (upper to lower) for 1.5 minutes
      
   3. 
      Third, diagonal direction 1 (from upper left to lower right) for 1 minute
      
   4. 
      Fourth, diagonal direction 2 (from lower left to upper right) for 1 minute
      
9. 
   Remove the crevice tool and filter carefully from rod after 5 minute vacuuming. Flip back the blue fabric to its original shape. Be cautious not to spill the collected dust over. Fold over blue fabric and binder clip to white filter.
   
10. 
    Place it in the same plastic zip loc bag (Do not touch the white filter part with your bare fingers).
    
11. 
    Check out sampling sheet for the location (room number) and sampling date/time. All locations in the sampling sheet should be based on the room numbers on the floor map.
    
12. 
    Read T and RH from the thermometer/hygrometer and fill out the sheet.
    

Field Dust Sampling Sheet
Building Location: Sampling Date: Sample Collector’s Names:

Location within building (Floor & Room umber)	Vacuum ID	Sample ID	Sampling Time (hh:mm)		Floor type			Air Temp (^oF)	Air RH (%)	Comments
			Start	End	Carpet	Tile	Other^*

* If other is checked, please describe type of floor in the comments column.