TSP Air Sampler for Total Suspended Particulate and Dust Monitoring

TSP means total suspended particulate, and a TSP air sampler collects all of it: no size-selective inlet is fitted, so coarse dust and fine aerosol reach the filter together. T4 AIR SAMPLER builds the roofed CB-HV-02 high volume cabinet, the TSP-FL stainless steel filter holder, the TSP-LV adapter that converts a low volume sampler to TSP on 47 mm discs, and the 8 x 10 inch glass fiber filters that go with them. Send us your flow rate, filter format and mounting, and we will quote a matched train.

What a TSP Air Sampler Is and How It Works

TSP stands for total suspended particulate. A TSP air sampler draws ambient air through a filter with no size-selective inlet in front of it, so every particle carried in the airstream is collected, from coarse soil and road dust down to fine combustion aerosol. Because nothing is removed before the filter, the mass weighed after exposure is a conservative total rather than a size fraction, and the reported value is always at least as high as a PM10 or PM2.5 reading taken at the same place at the same time.

The classic configuration is the high volume sampler. A blower pulls air through an 8 x 10 inch glass fiber filter at about 1.13 m3/min, and the filter is weighed before and after exposure on a laboratory balance. The mass difference divided by the sampled volume gives the concentration in micrograms per cubic meter. Flow rate is the critical variable in that calculation, so a volumetric flow controller or a calibrated orifice keeps the recorded volume accurate across a full sampling period.

A dedicated TSP cabinet is one route. The other is an adapter: the TSP-LV low volume adapter converts an existing low volume sampler to TSP duty on a 47 mm filter, which suits operators who already run PM10 or PM2.5 trains and need total mass data without buying a second blower.

TSP Configurations and the Models We Build

A complete high volume TSP train is assembled from four elements: a cabinet, a filter holder, a motor housing and the filter consumable. We build all four, so the configuration follows the site.

The CB-HV-02 cabinet carries a roof that sheds rain and snow away from the filter, which matters because a wet filter cannot be weighed accurately. The body is aluminum alloy with a high brushed, clear anodized finish. The TSP-FL holder uses stainless steel on the surfaces that touch the filter and aluminum alloy for the body, so the assembly stays light enough for one person to handle while the loaded surfaces resist corrosion.

The TSP-LV adapter is the compact option. It replaces the PM10 or PM2.5 inlet on a low volume sampler and holds a 47 mm filter, so a 16.7 L/min train can be switched to TSP and switched back again.

TSP, PM10 and PM2.5: When Total Mass Is the Right Choice

PM10 and PM2.5 samplers both use an inlet that removes particles above a cut point, one at 10 micrometers and the other at 2.5 micrometers. Their results describe the fraction that reaches the lower respiratory tract, which is why most health-based standards are written around them. A TSP sampler has no cut point at all. It measures everything the filter can capture.

Choose TSP when the question is total dust loading rather than a health-related size fraction: dust fallout and deposition studies, fenceline monitoring around a plant, process and emission work, and mining, quarrying or construction sites where a conservative upper value of particulate mass is required. Where a regulation names PM10 or PM2.5, use the matching inlet and add a TSP train only if the study also needs total mass. Because a TSP filter collects everything a PM10 filter collects and more, the two numbers are never identical.

Materials, Finish and Manufacturing

Our cabinets, holders and housings are made from aluminum alloy and stainless steel. Aluminum alloy keeps weight down, which matters for a tall cabinet that has to be lifted onto a roof, while stainless steel is used where a surface must resist rain, salt air and abrasive dust. External surfaces are high brushed and clear anodized, and items that need extra durability are powder coated.

Forming, welding, machining and finishing are done at our own facility in Foshan, Guangdong, so a repeat order can be made from the same drawing and dimensions stay consistent between batches. Gaskets and seals are fitted before packing, and every cabinet is checked for leaks before it leaves the workshop.

Installation, Calibration and Maintenance

A TSP high volume sampler is usually installed on a roof or a mast with the inlet clear of walls, vents and trees, so the sample represents the surrounding air rather than the building. The cabinet is bolted down and leveled, and a moveable bracket makes lifting and small position changes easier during commissioning.

Calibration sets the flow rate, and the flow rate sets the result. Use a gas flow calibrator to check the blower, then record the controller reading against the measured value. On each visit, inspect the gasket, confirm the filter is seated squarely, and check that the timer is still programmed as expected. Clean the blower and housing when dust builds up, replace gaskets at the recommended interval, and store glass fiber filters flat and dry before and after weighing.

Applications and Industries

Total suspended particulate data is used wherever the total dust load matters more than a single size fraction. Typical programs include:

• Dust fallout and deposition studies in mixed urban and industrial areas
• Fenceline and perimeter monitoring around process plants
• Mining, quarrying, crushing and bulk material handling sites
• Construction, demolition and earthworks dust control
• Cement, steel, foundry and ceramics operations
• Baseline surveys where a conservative total mass figure is required

If the same site also reports PM10 or PM2.5, keep the two trains separate and separately calibrated, because a shared blower or a shared inlet compromises both data sets.

Packing, Shipping and Lead Time

Cabinets are crated with the roof and door protected, and the filter holder and motor housing travel in their own foam-lined cartons. Inlets, adapters and holders are secured so that the machined faces cannot knock against each other. Filter paper is sealed in boxes and shipped flat to avoid creasing. We ship by air for urgent orders and by sea for complete cabinet projects, and we supply packing lists and carton dimensions in advance so you can plan clearance.

Tell us the destination and the quantity and we will confirm the shipping method and the dispatch date with the quotation.

OEM, ODM and How to Order

We supply TSP hardware to distributors, integrators and monitoring contractors under their own branding. That can mean a private label on the cabinet, a custom mounting plate, a different inlet thread, a bespoke connector on the control box, or a cabinet built to a drawing you supply. Because we make the metal parts ourselves, a change to a dimension or a finish is a drawing change.

To get an accurate quotation, send the flow rate you need, the filter format, the mounting arrangement, the quantity and any local power supply requirement. We will confirm the model, the lead time and the packing details, and we can issue drawings for approval before production starts.

TSP Air Sampler Available from T4 AIR SAMPLER

TSP High Volume Air Sampler Cabinet (With Roof)

TSP cabinet for outdoor air sampling equipment, with roof for weather protection.

TSP Filter Holder - Outdoor High Volume Air Sampler Part

TSP filter holder for high volume dust sampling with 8 x 10 inch filter paper.

Filter and Motor Housing Set for TSP

TSP filter and motor housing set for outdoor air sampling equipment.

TSP High Volume Air Sampler

TSP air sampler for total suspended particulate and dust monitoring, with roofed cabinet.

TSP Low Volume Air Sampler Inlet

TSP low volume air sampler adapter for total suspended particulate sampling on 47 mm filters.

Frequently Asked Questions