CollectionofIndoorAirSamplesforAnalysisofSemiVolatileOrganic Compounds(SVOCs)UsingPUFCartridges

BkAGuide1002.1 June2011
Introduction Thisguideisintendedforindoorairquality(IAQ)investigationsinvolvingthesamplingofsemi volatileorganiccompounds(SVOCs)inair.Aknownvolumeofindoorairispulledbyapump ontoaPUF(polyurethanefoam)cartridgeforsubsequentlaboratoryanalysisofindividual SVOCs(i.e.,polycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsand/orphthalateesters)bygas chromatography/massspectrometry(GC/MS).Determiningtheappropriatesamplingstrategyis acriticalfirststeptoachievingthestudysobjectives.Additionally,fieldairsamplesmustbe collectedproperlytoobtainmeaningfulresults.Specificprocedurescoveredinthisguide includeselectionofsamplevolumes,controlandmonitoringofthesamplingprocess,reducing sourcesofSVOCcontamination,andsamplerstorageandtransport.TheusePUFsamplersfor SVOCairsamplingisdescribedinU.S.EPAMethodTO10Aavailableat http://www.epa.gov/ttnamti1/files/ambient/airtox/to10ar.pdf. SamplingStrategy 1. Formanytypicalbuildinginvestigations,itisrecommendedthatsamplesbecollectedfrom severalindoorlocationsandoneoutdoorlocation.Asanexample,ifyouareinvestigatinga problembuilding,youmayconsidercollectingsamplesfromanareainthebuildingwiththe highestsuspectedcontaminationandonesamplefromanareainthebuildingwithlow suspectedcontaminationtoserveasacontrol.Anoutdoorsamplemaybecollectedtoserve asabackgroundreference(i.e.,tobesubtractedfromindoorconcentrations).Theoutdoor locationshouldbecarefullyselectedtoberepresentativeoftheventilationairenteringthe building.Forexample,avoidhangingsamplersimmediatelyoutsideofopenwindowssince airmaybeflowingoutofthebuildingatthewindows. 2. Ifameasureofsamplingandanalysisprecisionisrequired,itisrecommendedthattwoor moresamplesbecollectedateachlocation. 3. Itisdesirabletohaveafieldblankinadditiontoanoutdoorreferencesample.Oftenonly oneblanksampleisneededperbuilding.Theblanksamplershouldbehandled,transported andstoredidenticallytotheothersamplers,exceptthatnoactualsampleiscollected. DescriptionoftheSampler 1. Werecommendusinglowvolume,ORBOPUFCartridgeSamplers(PartNo.20557,Sigma Aldrich,8003253010)asthesecomewithamanufacturersCertificateofAnalysisand havebeenshowntohaveconsistentlylowbackgroundlevelsofPAHandphthalateesters. Theyaresoldinboxesofthreesamplers.LowVolume,SamplingPUFTubes(PartNo.226 92,SKC,8007528472)alsoareacceptablesamplers.Eachsampler(eitherSigmaAldrichor SKC)containsasingle2.2cmO.D.7.6cmlengthofprecleanedPUFinaglassholder.

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2. Aspurchased,SKCPUFTubesareindividuallywrappedinfoilandcontainedinasealedglass containerwithalabelindicatingthemanufacturerspartnumber,productionlotnumber andexpirationdate.ThethreeORBOPUFCartridgesarepackagedtogetherinonelarge sealedglasscontainerwiththemanufacturersinformationprintedonthepackingbox. BerkeleyAnalyticalmaybeabletosupplysamplersinsmallquantitiesatcost. 3. TheprecleanedPUFplugsintheSigmaAldrichandSKCsamplersarereadytouseas received.Precleaned,PUFplugsareavailable(PartNo.20600U,SigmaAldrich)as replacementmedia.Ifreusingaglassholder,cleanitwithsolvent(e.g.,methanol)anddryit. Usingcleangloves(Nitrileglovesareacceptable),insertthePUFplugintotheglassholder bygentlytwistingituntiltheplugrestsatthebottomoftheholder.Slightcompressionis necessaryinordertoensureasnugfitrequiredforpropersampleflow. 4. Thesamplerisinstalledsothattheairbeingsampledentersthewideopenendoftheglass holder.Thetaperedendisattachedtotheinletofthesamplingpump.Thelowpressure dropofthesmalldiameterPUFsamplersallowscollectionwithapersonalsamplingpump operatingat1to5L/min. 5. AirborneparticlesmaybecollectedbythePUFplug,butthesamplingefficiencyislow.For example,thecollectionefficiencyofPUFforsmalldiameter(0.1to1m)airborneparticles isreportedtobeabout20%.AnoptionalPUFfiltercartridgeassembly(PartNo.21031, SigmaAldrich)canbeattachedtotheinletofthePUFsamplertotrapSVOCsinthe particulatephase.Replaceable32mmquartzmicrofiberfiltersareavailable(PartNo. 21038,SigmaAldrich).The32mmdiameterquartzmicrofiberfilterisplacedintheopen endoftheunionandsupportedbymeansofascreenorperforatedmetalplate.A32mm VitonOringisplacedbetweenthefilterandouternuttocreateaseal. Handling 1. Caremustbetakentoavoidcontaminationandcrosscontaminationofsamplers.Itis recommendedthatapairofcleanglovesbeusedwitheachsampler.Nitrileglovesare recommended.Cleanwhitecottonornylonglovesalsomaybeused.Holdasamplerbythe middleandtrytominimizetouchingtheendsneartheopenings. 2. Donotwriteonthesamplersorattachlabelsdirectlytothesamplersasthisisapotential sourceofcontamination.WrapanindividualglassholderwithPUFmediainaluminumfoil thenattachthelabeltothefoilpackage.Useeasilyremovablelabelsontheoutsideof exteriorglasscontainerstofacilitatetheirreuse. SamplingApparatus 1. Drawairdirectlyintoasamplersoastoavoidconnectingtubingtotheinletofthesampler. 2. Connectthesamplerupstreamofthesamplingpump.Insomecases,thesamplercanbe connecteddirectlytotheinletofthepump.Oftenitisdesirabletolocatethesampleraway fromthepumpandconnectthesamplertothepumpwithtubing.Whensamplingfor phthalateesters,donotusetubingwithplasticizerssuchasstandardgradeTygontubing.

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3. TherearevariousACandDCpowereddiaphragmandperistalticpumpsthataresuitablefor usewiththesampler.Manybatteryoperatedpersonalsamplingpumpsmaybeused. SampleVolumeandFlowRate 1. Itisnecessarytoknowtheflowrateofairthroughthesamplerandtheelapsedtimeofthe samplingintervalinordertocalculatethesamplevolume.Forthehighestprecision,the flowratethroughthesamplershouldbemaintainedataconstantrateandmonitored continuously,oratleastfrequently,duringsampling.Theseobjectivesarebest accomplishedusingelectronicmassflowcontrollersincombinationwithavacuumpump. Alternately,apumpwithintegratedflowcontroloraseparateneedlevalvemaybeusedto maintainaconstantflowrate. 2. Apositivedisplacementflowsensor,bubbleflowmeter,orarotametermaybeusedto monitortheflowrateifthepumphasanairoutletwithasuitablefitting.Donotattachflow metersupstreamofthesamplerasthismaycontaminatethesample.Ifthepumpdoesnot haveanairoutlet,itwillbenecessarytocalibratethesamplingsystemusingadummy samplingcartridge.Theoutsidediameteroftheglassholderis22mm.Appropriatefittings inthisdimensionarenotreadilyavailable.Thus,itmaybenecessarytoplacea1hole stopperfittedwithasmalldiametertubingintotheinteriordiameteroftheglassholder. 3. Forflowregulationschemesotherthanthoseusingelectronicmassflowcontrollers,itis necessarytodirectlymeasuretheflowrate.Ataminimum,thismeasurementshouldbe madebothnearthebeginningandendofthesamplinginterval.Thesemeasuredflowrates shouldnotvarybymorethan15%. 4. Theminimumsamplevolumeisdeterminedbythesensitivityoftheanalyticalsystem,the blanklevel,andtheconcentrationofthetargetcompound(s).Asamplevolumeof240L producesalowerlimitofquantitationofapproximately0.4g/m3forsignalcomponent phthalates,4g/m3forphthalatesthatareisomermixtures(DINPandDIDP),and0.02 g/m3forthe16PAHcompoundslistedinEPAMethod8310. 5. Asamplingrateof1to5Lmin1isrecommended.Amaximumsamplingtimeof24his recommended.Typically,anindoorairsampleiscollectedat1Lmin1overfourhours yieldinga240Lsample. 6. Thesamplingsystemshouldbeleakcheckedpriortouse. 7. Recordthemeasurementdataincludingtheairtemperatureandtheatmosphericpressure sothattheflowratecanbeconvertedtostandardindoorconditions(e.g.,25C,101.3kPA). OtherSamplingPrecautions 1. Donotexposesamplersusedoutdoorstodirectsunlight.Aluminumfoilcanbeusedto makeasimplesunshield. 2. Avoidcollectingsamplesintherainorinhighhumiditysituations.

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StorageandTransport 1. Store,transportandshipsamplerstightlyenclosedintheirglassstoragecontainers.Avoid subjectingthesamplerstoelevatedtemperaturessuchasmightoccurinclosedvehicles parkedinthesun.Itishighlyrecommendedthatsamplersbetransportedandshippedinan icechestusinganicepacktokeepthesamplerscool.ReturnthesamplerstoBerkeley Analyticalforanalysisassoonaspossibleafterthecollectionofsamples.Ifusedsamplers mustbestoredpriortoshipment,keeptheminacleanrefrigeratororfreezer. 2. WhensubmittingsamplerstoBerkeleyAnalyticalforanalysis,besuretoclearlyindicate whatservicesaredesired.AnIAQservicesCOCformisavailablefordownloadonthe BerkeleyAnalyticalwebsiteifyoudonotalreadyhaveanappropriateform. Figure1.PUFSamplerforSVOCs

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