Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

A comparison of analytical methods for oxygenated volatile organic compounds in ambient air

Conference ·
OSTI ID:617679
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV (United States)
  2. California Air Resources Board, Sacramento, CA (United States)
Three separate methods for analyzing oxygenated volatile organic compounds in ambient air samples are compared and the appropriateness of each method in quantifying specific oxygenated VOCs is assessed. The first method included in the comparison consists of a modified EPA Method TO-14, in which sample air is cryogenically trapped from polished-interior-surface stainless steel canisters and analyzed via high resolution gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In the latter two methods, oxygenated VOCs in air samples are trapped onto multiadsorbent-bed tubes, trapped water is purged from the sorbent bed with inert gas, then the samples are analyzed by either GC/FTIR/MS or high resolution gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The confounding effects of water present in samples are addressed for each of the methods in this study. Specific compounds analyzed for include methyl-t-butyl ether, methanol, ethanol, and ethyl-t-butyl ether. The results identify two separate methods capable of quantifying these oxygenated VOCs in ambient air with one of the methods showing a consistent, superior performance for methanol and ethanol. 8 refs., 3 figs.
OSTI ID:
617679
Report Number(s):
CONF-9605175--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English