Ion-trap detection of volatile organic compounds in alveolar breath

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Clinical Chemistry; (United States)

OSTI ID:5530425

Phillips, M; Greenberg, J ^[1]

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1. Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Medical Center of Richmond, Staten Island, NY (United States)

We describe a method for the collection and microanalysis of the volatile organic compounds in human breath. A transportable apparatus supplies subjects with purified air and samples their alveolar breath; the volatile organic compounds are captured in an adsorptive trap containing activated carbon and molecular sieve. The sample is thermally desorbed from the trap in an automated microprocessor-controlled device, concentrated by two-stage cryofocusing, and assayed by gas chromatography with ion-trap detection. Compounds are identified by reference to a computer-based library of mass spectra with subtraction of the background components present in the inspired air. We used this device to study 10 normal subjects and determined the relative abundance of the volatile organic compounds in their alveolar breath. The breath-collecting apparatus was convenient to operate and was well tolerated by human volunteers.

• OSTI ID: 5530425
• Journal Information: Clinical Chemistry; (United States), Journal Name: Clinical Chemistry; (United States) Vol. 38:1; ISSN 0009-9147; ISSN CLCHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADSORPTION
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
BODY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
INHALATION
INTAKE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MAN
MATTER
METABOLISM
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
VERTEBRATES
VOLATILE MATTER