Items of mail are rapidly processed in a mail sampling system to determine
if the mail is contaminated with a chemical or biological agent. The mail sampling
system maintains a negative pressure in a containment chamber and includes a triggering
sampler that makes a threshold determination regarding possible contamination,
and a detecting sampler that obtains a sample for more detailed analysis in response
to a signal from the triggering sampler. A sample of particulates collected from
an item of mail is either removed for analysis or analyzed in the system to identify
a contaminating agent. Optionally, the system includes an archiving sampler, which
archives samples for subsequent processing and analysis, and a decontamination
system, which is activated to decontaminate the mail if needed.
