Authors: Giovanni Fabrizi Marzia Fioretti Lucia Mainero Rocca
Publish Date: 2012/09/12
Volume: 405, Issue: 2-3, Pages: 961-976
Abstract
A desorption study of 57 volatile organic compounds VOCs has been conducted by use of accelerated solvent extraction ASE and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry Different solvents were tested to extract activated charcoal tubes with the objective of replacing carbon disulfide used in official methods because of its highly toxic health and environmental effects Extraction conditions for example temperature and number of cycles were investigated and optimized The definitive extraction procedure selected was use of acetone at 150 °C and two consecutive extraction cycles at a pressure of 1500 psi Considering a sample volume of 0005 Nm3 corresponding to a sampling time of 8 h at a flow rate of 001 L min−1 the method was validated over the concentration range 65–26300 μg Nm−3 The lowest limit of quantification was 6 μg Nm−3 and recovery for the 93 of analytes ranged from 65 to 102 For most of the compounds relative standard deviations were less than 15 for inter and intraday precision Uncertainty of measurement was also determined the relative expanded uncertainty was always below 296 except for dichlorodifluoromethane This work shows that use of friendlier solvent for example acetone coupled with use of ASE can replace use of CS2 for chemical removal of VOCs from activated charcoal ASE has several advantages over traditional solventextraction methods including shorter extraction time minimum sample manipulation high reproducibility and less extraction discrimination No loss of sensitivity occurs and there is also a salutary effect on bench workers’ health and on the smell of laboratory air
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