Comparison of portable gas chromatographs and passivated canisters for field sampling airborne toxic organic vapors in the United States and the USSR

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Environmental Science and Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00020a012· OSTI ID:5461661

Berkley, R E; Varns, J L; Pleil, J ^[1]

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1. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

Collection of samples in passivated canisters is widely used in analysis of trace volatile organic compounds in air because preconcentration is usually required to detect analytes. Sample integrity can be comprised by deterioration or artifact formation during storage and preconcentration. A laboratory-tested portable gas chromatograph (PGC) equipped with a highly sensitive photoionization detector (PID) equipped with a highly sensitive photoionization detector (PID) offers the advantage of near real-time data without preconcentration, but its limitations as a field-portable instrument must be recognized. This paper presents data produced simultaneously by the canister/TO-14 method and by PGCs. Data were obtained in US and overseas field studies at industrial, hazardous waste, and roadway sites. Field results suggest that a combination of canister and PGC methods offers a synergistic approach to source assessment measurements.

• OSTI ID: 5461661
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States) Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 25:8; ISSN ESTHA; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AIR SAMPLERS
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
ASIA
BENZENE
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EQUIPMENT
EUROPE
EVALUATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
IONIZATION
MATERIALS
MATTER
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOIONIZATION
PORTABLE EQUIPMENT
SAMPLERS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TESTING
TOLUENE
USA
USSR
VOLATILE MATTER
XYLENES