Panasonic PT-DZ12000U Operating Instructions Manual page 128

F. Bubblers
Bubblers consist of an air pump and a liquid container
which has an inlet tube going to near the bottom of the
bubbler. The air pump pulls air to be sampled into the inlet
tube and the air goes through the tube to the bottom of the
liquid container where the air "bubbles" into the liquid and
rises to the top of the liquid container where the air is drawn
off by the air pump. Water is the typical liquid used but other
liquids may be used depending on what substance is desired
to be collected.
Bubblers are used to collect both gases and aerosols and
these may be radioactive or toxic gases and aerosols.
In some cases real-time analysis of the substances being
collected are possible by using chemicals in the liquid which
will react with the substances being collected.
The substance collected in the liquid may be analyzed at
some later time also.
An example of a bubbler sample collection technique is the
elemental tritium and tritium oxide bubbler. Elemental tritium
is used in several applications and must be adequately
monitored for in order to apply safety controls. Elemental
tritium is not as hazardous as tritium oxide but elemental
tritium quickly converts to the oxide form upon exposure to
the atmosphere. Typically the air being sampled is drawn
through a series of collection vials with an appropriate liquid
in them and the tritium oxide is effectively collected in those
vials but the elemental tritium passes through them.
117