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Characterization of a calibration source and gas chromatographic system for the measurement of ambient pan

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7126618

Field measurements of peroxyacetyl (PAN) by GC with electron capture detection, requires a calibration method that is portable, stable with time, and accurate. The source used here consisted of a solution of PAN in tridecane which was contained within a capillary diffusion cell held at O/degree/C. A stable, low concentration of PAN in a gas stream was produced from this, and accurately calibrated by conversion to NO and analysis by O/sub 3/ chemiluminescene. The major impurities in this PAN source were methyl nitrate and HNO/sub 3/. Methyl nitrate arose from the unimolecular decomposition of PAN, and was observed to vary from 4% initially to almost 25% after a month. HNO/sub 3/ probably resulted from hydrolysis of PAN in the presence of H/sub 2/O impurities and varied from <1% to 17% after a month. An accuracy of +-25% was obtained at (PAN) = 1 ppbv and a detection limit of 0.01 ppbv was possibl; e with 5 cc samples. 8 refs., 1 fig.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
7126618
Report Number(s):
BNL-41188; CONF-880912-7; ON: DE88010522
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English