A measurement technique for organic nitrates and halocarbons in ambient air.
A cryogenic preconcentration/high-resolution gas chromatographic technique has been developed for the rapid, simultaneous quantitation of C1-C4 organic nitrates and halocarbons in ambient air. Whole-air samples are collected in Tedlar{sup TM} bags by an evacuated-chamber method. Samples were stable in 0.010-cm-thick bags for 24 h if they were immediately stored in a freezer at -25{sup o}C. Analytes in a 50-cm{sup 3} air sample were efficiently preconcentrated on fused-silica beads at -180{sup o}C and thermally desorbed at 30{sup o}C. High-resolution gas chromatography with a cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane fused-silica capillary column and an electron-capture detector were used for separation and quantitation of the analytes. An analysis time of about 12 min was facilitated by sample cryofocusing at -180{sup o}C and oven temperature programming. Recoveries of the analytes by the evacuated-chamber method were better than 95%. The sensitivity of the technique for sample volumes of 50 cm{sup 3} is in the sub-parts-per-trillion by volume (ppt[v]) range for many of the analytes, with an average precision of about {+-}5% for analytes at levels of about 10 ppt(v).
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- ER
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 942333
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ER/JA-30410
- Journal Information:
- J. High Resolut. Chromatogr., Journal Name: J. High Resolut. Chromatogr. Journal Issue: 4 ; Apr. 1998 Vol. 21; ISSN 0935-6304; ISSN JHRCE7
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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