Evaluation of solid-phase microextraction with PDMS for air sampling of gaseous organophosphate flame-retardants and plasticizers.
As an inexpensive, simple, and low-solvent consuming extraction technique, the suitability of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sorbent was investigated as a quantitative method for sampling gaseous organophosphate triesters in air. These compounds have become ubiquitous in indoor air, because of their widespread use as additive flame retardants/plasticizers in various indoor materials. Results obtained by sampling these compounds at controlled air concentrations using SPME and active sampling on glass fibre filters were compared to evaluate the method. A constant linear airflow of 10 cm s(-1) over the fibres was applied to increase the extraction rate. For extraction of triethyl phosphate with a 100-microm PDMS fibre, equilibrium was achieved after 8 h. The limit of detection was determined to be less than 10 pg m(-3). The PDMS-air partition coefficients, Kfs, for the individual organophosphate triesters were determined to be in the range 5-60 x 10(6) at room temperature (22-23 degrees C). Air measurements were performed utilising the determined coefficients for quantification. In samples taken from a lecture room four different airborne organophosphate esters were identified, the most abundant of which was tris(chloropropyl) phosphate, at the comparatively high level of 1.1 microg m(-3). The results from SPME and active sampling had comparable repeatability (RSD less than 17%), and the determined concentrations were also similar. The results suggest that the investigated compounds were almost entirely associated with the gaseous phase at the time and place sampled.
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Sindra
S
Isetun
Ulrika
U
Nilsson
Anders
A
Colmsjö
D000327:Adsorption; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004058:Diffusion; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D005411:Flame Retardants; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010968:Plasticizers