A two-column method for long-term monitoring of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs)

J Environ Monit. 2003 Feb;5(1):8-13. doi: 10.1039/b202798d.

Abstract

A method has been developed for concurrent analysis of C2-C7 hydrocarbons and C2-C5 oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs) including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and ethers. A multi-bed, Peltier-cooled adsorbent trap, consisting of Carboxen 1000 and Carbopack B, was used to acquire one sample per hour. Upon injection the sample was split in an approximately 50:50 ratio between a 50 m aluminium oxide (Al2O3) porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column and a 10 m LOWOX column. Eluents from each column were then analysed using flame ionisation detection (FID). Regular calibration of the system was performed using a standard cylinder mixture at the parts per billion by volume (ppbV) level for non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and a permeation tube method for the oxygenated species. The system is fully automated with NMHC detection limits between 1 and 10 parts per trillion by volume (pptV) and o-VOC detection limits between 10 and 40 pptV.

MeSH terms

  • Absorption
  • Air Pollutants / analysis*
  • Alcohols / analysis*
  • Aldehydes / analysis*
  • Calibration
  • Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / methods
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Ethers / analysis*
  • Hydrocarbons / analysis*
  • Ketones / analysis*
  • Oxygen / analysis
  • Oxygen / chemistry
  • Volatilization

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Alcohols
  • Aldehydes
  • Ethers
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Ketones
  • Oxygen