Determination of a Wide Range of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Using Multisorbent Adsorption/Thermal Desorption and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Adsorption/thermal desorption with multisorbent air-sampling cartridges was developed for the determination of 87 method analytes including halogenated alkanes, halogenated alkenes, ethers, alcohols, nitriles, esters, ketones, aromatics, a disulfide, and a furan. The volatilities of the compounds ranged from that of dichlorofluoromethane (CFC12) to that of 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene. The eight most volatile compounds were determined using a 1.5-L air sample and a sample cartridge containing 50 mg of Carbotrap B and 280 mg of Carboxen 1000; the remaining 79 compounds were determined using a 5-L air sample and a cartridge containing 180 mg of Carbotrap B and 70 mg of Carboxen 1000. Analysis and detection were by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The minimum detectable level (MDL) concentration values ranged from 0.01 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) for chlorobenzene to 0.4 ppbv for bromomethane; most of the MDL values were in the range 0.02−0.06 ppbv. No breakthrough was detected with the prescribed samp...