A comparison of the particulate matter catch from EPA and modified ASME-ASTM sampling trains

The control efficiency, concentration of particulate matter and emission rate of particulate matter were determined from a municipal incinerator equipped with an electrostatic precipitator. An EPA and a modified ASME-ASTM particulate matter sampling train were used concurrently at precipitator inlet and outlet sampling ports to confirm the manufacturer's guarantee of collection efficiency and to determine compliance with local emission regulations. A comparison of the weight of particulate matter collected during 22 test runs with each type of sampling train indicated that an out-of-stack filter in the current arrangement of the ASME-ASTM train results in a particulate matter catch which is comparable to that from the front portion of the EPA train. A statistical Mest performed on the particulate matter catch from both sampling trains indicates no significance in the difference of the mean catch values of both the front portion and the combined front and back portions of the sampling trains. Doubt is cast upon previous assertions that differences in the particulate matter caught by the two sampling trains are caused by the condensation of sulfur oxides and organic vapors within the back half of the EPA train. Rather, it appears that there is a loss of particulate matter from the Alundum thimble of the ASME-ASTM train that can be caught by a fiber glass out-of-stack filter.