Environmental sampling system and method

A method of environmental sampling, the method comprising:

• providing an environmental sampling system in an aircraft spinner that is operable to rotate about a central axis, the aircraft spinner has a surface on which an air flow impinges when the aircraft spinner is in operation, the environmental sampling system including an accumulator that includes a chamber and an inlet tube that is open to the surface for intake of the air flow when the aircraft flies, the inlet tube extends through a chamber front wall and partially into the chamber, the inlet tube terminates adjacent a back wall of the chamber that is opposite the front wall such that a swirl is imparted to the air flow that exits the inlet tube in the chamber, the swirl and centrifugal force from rotation of the spinner throwing constituents in the air flow radially outwardly to thereby retain constituents from the air flow;
• after the aircraft has flown, collecting the constituents by either removing the accumulator from the aircraft or removing the constituents from the accumulator;
• and
• analyzing the constituents to determine at least one characteristic associated with the constituents.