Abstract
An automated environmental air monitor has been developed to measure selected organic compounds in urban air. The instrument is based on a cryofocusing-thermal desorption gas chromatographic mass spectrometry technique where the mass spectrometer is a slightly modified residual gas analyzer (RGA). The RGA was chosen as a detector because the whole system must be robust for long periods, with 24-h continuous air monitoring. RCA are extremely simple and seemed the most reliable mass spectrometers for this purpose. Moreover, because they have no physically limited ion source, contamination is considerably reduced, so maintenance intervals are longer.
The gas chromatograph is equipped with a computer-controlled six-way sampling valve, with a 100-mL sampling loop and thermal desorption cold trap injector. Environmental air is enriched with an isotopically labeled internal standard in the sampling line. This internal standard is added with a validated, custom-made, permeation tube device. The “on-line” internal standard provides for high quality quantitative data because all variations in instrument sensitivity in cryofocusing or in thermal desorption efficiency are taken into account. High repetition rates (down to 5 min for a full analytical cycle) are obtained with the use of an isothermal gas chromatography program, microbore capillary column, and environmental air sampling during the gas chromatography run.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Lioy, P. L. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1990, 24, 938–990.
Lave, B. L. Science 1987, 23, 291–295.
Seinfeld, J. H. Science 1989, 243, 745–752.
Russel, M.; Gruber, M. Science 1987, 23,286–290.
Fuselli, S.; Lantemari, S.; Proictto, R. A. Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography; 1991; pp 414E–42SE.
Sandmeyer, E. E. In Patty’s Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology; Clayton, G. D.; Clayton, F. E., Eds.; Wiley: New York, 1981; pp 3253–3431.
Heavner, D. L.; Ogden, M. W.; Nelson, P. R. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1992, 26, 1731–1746.
Gholson, A. R; Jayanty, R. K. M.; Storm J. F. Anal. Chem. 1990, 62, 1899–1902.
Chan, C. C.; Ozkaynak, H.; Spengler, J. D.; Sheldon, L. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1991, 25, 964–972.
Hsu, J. P.; Miller, G.; Morant V., III J. Chromaiogr. Sci. 1991, 29, 83–88.
Zha, Q.; Oppenheimer, J. R.; Weisel, C. P. Proceedings of the 38th ASMS Conference; 1990; pp 617–618.
Michael, L. C.; Pellizzari, E.; Perritt, R. L.; Hartwell, T. D.; Westerdahl, D.; Nelson, W. C. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1990, 24, 996–1003.
Bayer, C. W.; Black, M. S. J. Chromatogr. Sci. 1987, 25,60–64.
McLuckey, S. A.; Glish, G. L.; Asano, K. G.; Grantl B. C. Anal. Chem. 1988, 60, 2220–2227.
Dearth, M. A.; Glerczak, C. A.; Slegi, W. O. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1992, 26, 1573–1580.
Schoene, K.; Steinhenses, J.; Fresenius, J. Anal. Chem. 1990, 336, 114–119.
Comes, P.; Conzales-Flesca, N.; Menard, T.; Grimalt, J. O. Anal. Chem. 1993, 65, 1048–1053.
Davoli, E.; Rossi, O.; Fanelli, R. J. High Resolution Chromatogr. 1993, 16, 626–628.
Schoeller, D. A. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1986, 396–399.
IARC Monograph, Supplement 7, 1987; pp 120–122.
Donald, J. M.; Hooper, K.; Hopenhayn-Rich, C. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1991, 237–244.
Dasch, J. M.; Williams, R. L. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1991, 25, 853–857.
U.S, EPA; Motor Vehicle-Related Air Toxies Study, Public Review Draft, 1992; pp. 5–17.
Wallace, L. A. Environ. Health Persp, 1989, 82, 165–169.
U.S. EPA. Motor Vehicle-Related Air Taxies Study. Public Review Draft, 1992;pp 5–9.
Teknivent Corp. NBS/Wiley Mass Spectral Database; 1987. 127. Lucero, D. P. Anal. Chem. 1971, 43, 1744-1749. 128. O’Keeffe, A. E.; Ortman, G. C. Anal. Chem. 1966, 6, 760-763.
Davoli, E.; Cappellini, L.; Ferrari, S.; Fanelli, R. Proceedings of the 40th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics; Washington, DC, May 1992; pp 695–696.
Davoli, E.; Rossi, O.; Delprato, U.; Fanelli, R. Presented at the 41st ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics; San Francisco, CA, May 1993.
Inghram, M. G.; Hayden, J. R. 1954, In Handbook on Mass Spectrometry. Nuclear Series; Report 14T; NRC:USA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Davoli, E., Cappellini, L., Maggi, M. et al. Automated high-speed analysis of selected organic compounds in urban air by on-line isotopic dilution cryofocusing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 5, 1001–1007 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1016/1044-0305(94)80018-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/1044-0305(94)80018-9