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Determination of methyl bromide in air resulting from pre-plant fumigations of plowed fields

Conference ·
OSTI ID:214555
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States)
A method for measuring residues of methyl bromide in air entails concentrating the fumigant on charcoal from an airstream at a flowrate of 100 ml/min, desorption of the trapped material with benzyl alcohol solvent in a sealed vial at 60-110{degrees}C for 10-15 min, and then sampling of the equilibrated vapor for gas chromatographic assay using electron-capture detection. The desorbed vapor is chromatographed on a 27 in x 0.32 mm (id) porous-layer open tubular column, on which methyl bromide has a retention time of about 6 min at 90{degrees}C and at a carrier gas flowrate of 3-3.5 ml/min. Using this method, standard curves were linear over at least three orders of magnitude and a practical limit of detection for field air was about 20 ng/m{sup 3} ({approximately}5 ppt). This method has been used in studies concerned with methyl bromide volatilization from fumigated fields and with ambient background levels.
OSTI ID:
214555
Report Number(s):
CONF-950801--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English