Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of pans with luminol chemilumnescent detection
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs) are important air pollutants in tropospheric chemistry. PANs are known to be potent phytotoxins at low ppb concentrations and are lachrymators. They can also transport the more reactive nitrogen dioxide long distances, because they are in equilibrium with that NO{sub x} species. Since PANs are trapped peroxyradicals, they are a direct measure of the peroxyradical levels and the of {open_quotes}photochemical age{close_quotes} of an air parcel. The PANs are typically measured in the atmosphere by using electron capture detection methods. These methods suffer from large background signals and detector responses to oxygen and water vapor. This paper describes the combination of a capillary gas chromatographic column with a modified luminol chemiluminescent nitrogen dioxide detector (Scintrex, Luminox) for rapid and sensitive detection of nitrogen dioxide, peroxyacetyl nitrate, peroxypropionyl nitrate, and peroxybutyryl nitrate. Detection limits for this approach in the low tens of parts per trillion have been observed with total analysis times of less than three minutes. We will discuss the potential application of this method to other compounds, particularly, organonitrates, in a pyrolysis system and/or with ozone addition to the sampling streams.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 466195
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9606185-; TRN: 96:005931-0146
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. international conference on atmospheric sciences and applications to air quality, Seattle, WA (United States), 18-20 Jun 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of The 5th international atmospheric sciences and applications to air quality conference; PB: 322 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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