Determining the Levels of Volatile Organic Pollutants in Urban Air Using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method. (2nd February 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nicoara, Simona; Tonidandel, Loris; Traldi, Pietro; Watson, Jonathan; Morgan, Geraint; Popa, Ovidiu
• Other Names: Chow Judith C. Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental and public health. Volume 2009(2009)
• Publication Date: 2010-02-02
• Subjects: Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational diseases -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.105
• DOI: 10.1155/2009/148527
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-9805

Abstract

Abstract : The paper presents the application of a method based on coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, using an isotopically labelled internal standard for the quantitative analysis of benzene (B), toluene (T), ethyl benzene (E), and o-, m-, p-xylenes (X). Their atmospheric concentrations were determined based on short-term sampling, in different sites of Cluj-Napoca, a highly populated urban centre in N-W Romania, with numerous and diversified road vehicles with internal combustion engines. The method is relatively inexpensive and simple and shows good precision and linearity in the ranges of 7–60μ g / m 3 (B), 13–90μ g / m 3 (T), 7–50μ g / m 3 (E), 10–70μ g / m 3 (X-m, p), and 20–130μ g / m 3 (X-o). The limits of quantitation/detection of the method LOQ/LOD are of 10/5μ g / m 3 (Xo), 5/3μ g / m 3 (B, E, X-m, p), and of 3/1μ g / m 3 (T), respectively.