Since the early seventies, the High Volume Sampler was the most common and widely used dust sampler for ambient air. Dust is sampled on a filter with a sampling rate of 100 m³/hr. Usually, filters are changed every 24 hours. The sampled dust is called Total Suspended Matter (TSP). However, in several studies since 1977 it was shown that sampling effciciency decreases for dust particles of 40 µm and up. Moreover, the sampling efficiency depends on wind speed and type of dust (wet or dry).

Since the early eighties, High Volume Samplers were often provided of a PM10-inlet, thus avoiding the efficiency biases for large particles. In the nineties, more and more High Volume Samplers were replaced by more convenient dust monitoring systems.