title: Recovery of some common solvents from protective clothing breakthrough indicator pads by microwave-solvent extraction and gas chromatography.
abstract: The efficiency of solvent adsorption using Permea-Tec general solvent pads, used for the detection of chemical breakthrough of protective clothing, was determined for methanol, acetone, ethyl methyl ketone, trichloroethylene (TriCE), tetrachloroethylene (TetCE), toluene, m-xylene, and D-limonene. Known volumes of single or mixed solvents were added to pads in the range 0.2-5.0 microliters (0.16-8.13 micrograms). After microwave-solvent extraction (ME) into hexan-1-ol, the samples (0.5-3.0 microliters) of the filtered and extracted solutions were analyzed by gas chromatography. All solvents exhibited > 97% adsorption on the pads at spiking levels of 0.48-0.98 microgram for each solvent. The solvent recovery for the system was calculated for each solvent, with solvents with boiling points below 110 degrees C showing recoveries of > 90%, and with solvents with boiling points above 110 degrees C showing recoveries from 80 to 90%. The recovery precision was good (RSD < or = 4%) for all solvents over the range 1.0-2.5 microliters of applied solvents to pads for ME and 1.0 microliter of extracted solutions for GC analysis.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Berardinelli
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006801:Humans; D008872:Microwaves; D011481:Protective Clothing; D012997:Solvents / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D012997:Solvents