Abstract
The two-piece plastic filter cassette commonly used by industrial hygienists for collecting personal air samples was examined for possible leakage. Separate groups of cassettes were assembled using two different assembly methods: manual assembly and mechanical assembly. A flow barrier was included in the cassette to facilitate leakage testing. Pressure drops, physical dimensions and leakage rates were determined for each type of assembly method. Significant leakage occurred for manually assembled cassettes. Mechanically assembled cassettes showed insignificant leakage rates at flow rates typically used by industrial hygienists.