An air sample collected by drawing a known volume of air through a water column using an impinger is used to measure which form of contamination?

• A. Tritium
• B. Particulate
• C. Iodine
• D. Noble Gas

Answer: (A)

Drawing air through a water-filled impinger captures contaminants that dissolve in water or form water-soluble species. Tritium commonly appears as tritiated water (HTO) in the air, so it will dissolve in the water and be collected for analysis. Particulate contamination is typically trapped on filters, not by a liquid, so it isn’t best collected by an impinger. Iodine in gas form is usually captured with chemical traps or adsorbents, and noble gases do not dissolve in water and require other methods. So the water impinger is most appropriate for measuring tritium as tritiated water.