Field-audit results with organic gas standards on volatile organic ambient air samplers equipped with Tenax GC (gas chromatography)

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6503838

Crist, H L; Mitchell, W J

The results from two field audits of Tenax-equipped sampling systems measuring the volatile organic (VOC) concentrations in ambient air are reported. The audited samplers collected the VOC's on Tenax GC (a solid adsorbent) with the VOC's later thermally desorbed and then analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/computer (GC/MS/COMP). Each audit standard, prepared and certified by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), contained at least four of the following compounds at the low parts per billion (ppb) level in dry N/sub 2/: C/sub 6/H/sub 6/, C/sub 6/H/sub 5/CH/sub 3/, C/sub 6/H/sub 5/Br, C/sub 6/H/sub 5/C/sub 1/, CHC/sub 13/, CC/sub 14/ and C/sub 2/C/sub 14/. The results of the two audits were consistent and highlight some of the errors associated with sampling for VOC using Tenax GC. The agreement between successive sampling runs (repeatability) shows that the audit system itself is a viable means to audit the performance of VOC sampling systems at field sites.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Environmental Monitoring and Systems Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6503838
• Report Number(s): PB-87-167771/XAB; EPA-600/J-86/279
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
MATTER
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SAMPLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STANDARDS
VOLATILE MATTER