SKC Grab Air Personal Sampling Pump

Overview

The SKC Grab Air Personal Sampling Pump is a compact, manually activated diaphragm pump engineered for rapid, field-deployable grab sampling of airborne contaminants into gas-impermeable sampling bags (e.g., Tedlar®, FlexFoil®, or aluminized Mylar®). Unlike continuous-duty personal sampling pumps used in occupational hygiene monitoring, the Grab Air operates on a fixed-flow principle—delivering a nominal 1.0 L/min volumetric flow rate without adjustable controls or electronic feedback regulation. Its design prioritizes operational simplicity, minimal maintenance, and immediate readiness: users connect a calibrated sampling bag to the outlet port, power the unit with a single 9V alkaline battery, and initiate collection without programming, calibration checks, or warm-up time. The pump’s non-sparking diaphragm mechanism ensures mechanical reliability across diverse environmental conditions, though it is explicitly not certified for use in Class I, Division 1 or ATEX Zone 0/1 hazardous locations. It serves as a primary tool for qualitative or semi-quantitative air characterization—especially where time-resolved snapshots of fugitive emissions, indoor air quality events, or process upsets are required.

Key Features

• Fixed-flow operation at 1.0 L/min—eliminates flow calibration drift and user-induced variability;
• Single 9V alkaline battery power—enables rapid deployment without charging infrastructure or downtime between samples;
• Integrated low-battery indicator LED—provides visual confirmation of remaining operational capacity prior to sample initiation;
• Ultra-compact footprint (10.8 × 6.3 × 2.7 cm) and lightweight construction (186 g)—facilitates belt-mounting, pocket carry, or integration into portable sampling kits;
• Direct bag coupling interface—no tubing adapters, regulators, or inline filters required for standard grab sampling protocols;
• Diaphragm-driven architecture—ensures consistent flow delivery across ambient temperatures from –10 °C to +50 °C and relative humidity up to 95% non-condensing.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The Grab Air is compatible with all industry-standard gas-sampling bags rated for analytical use—including 1–10 L Tedlar® (polyvinyl fluoride), FlexFoil® laminates, and metallized polymer films. It meets the physical interface requirements of ASTM D5466–22 (Standard Test Method for Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Using Active Sampling Onto Sorbent Tubes and Analysis by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry), though its fixed flow necessitates post-sampling volume verification via bag pressure/temperature correction per EPA Method TO-15 Appendix B. While not intrinsically safe, the pump complies with general electrical safety standards per UL 61010-1 and IEC 61010-1 for laboratory and field instrumentation. It supports GLP-aligned documentation when paired with SKC’s traceable bag lot certification and standardized field log templates.

Software & Data Management

The Grab Air operates independently of software or digital interfaces—consistent with its role as a manual grab sampler. No firmware, drivers, or proprietary applications are required. All sampling metadata (e.g., start time, bag ID, location, operator, ambient conditions) must be recorded manually in accordance with site-specific SOPs or regulatory reporting frameworks (e.g., OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120, ISO 17025 accredited labs). For laboratories requiring audit-ready records, SKC recommends pairing the Grab Air with electronic field loggers (e.g., iSPEX or EpiCenter) or LIMS-integrated mobile data capture tools that support barcode scanning of bag labels and GPS-tagged timestamping.

Applications

• Rapid response screening for VOC leaks during refinery turnaround or chemical facility incident investigations;
• Baseline indoor air quality assessments in commercial buildings prior to HVAC commissioning;
• Verification sampling following remediation of mold or microbial volatile organic compound (MVOC) sources;
• Calibration gas verification—drawing known concentration standards into analytical instruments such as GC-FID, GC-MS, or FTIR;
• Educational demonstrations of passive vs. active sampling principles in environmental science curricula;
• Supporting Method 25A (EPA) and EN 13649–2 compliance for non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) grab sampling in stack testing pre-screening.

FAQ

Can the Grab Air be used for OSHA-compliant personal exposure monitoring?
No—it is not designed for time-weighted average (TWA) sampling over full shifts. Use SKC’s AirCheck TOUCH or SideKick pumps for regulated occupational hygiene protocols.
Is flow calibration required before each use?
Not for grab sampling; however, periodic verification using a primary standard (e.g., bubble meter or electronic calibrator) is recommended every 3 months or per internal QA/QC policy.
Does the pump include a built-in flowmeter or pressure sensor?
No—flow is mechanically fixed and unmonitored in real time. Users must rely on battery life estimation (~1000 L per 9V cell) and timed operation for volume calculation.
Can lithium or rechargeable 9V batteries be substituted?
Only standard alkaline 9V batteries are validated for consistent 1.0 L/min performance. Lithium or NiMH cells may alter voltage decay profiles and reduce total sampled volume.
What is the maximum allowable backpressure when sampling into rigid canisters?
The Grab Air is intended exclusively for low-backpressure applications (< 5 cm H₂O). Do not use with evacuated canisters or sorbent tubes without an inline flow regulator.