title: Determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes in air by solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
abstract: The aim of the study was to analyse BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) in air by solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME/GC/MS), and this article presents the features of the calibration method proposed. Examples of real-world air analysis are given. Standard gaseous mixtures of BTEX in air were generated by dynamic dilution. SPME sampling was carried out under non-equilibrium conditions using a Carboxen/PDMS fibre exposed for 30 min to standard gas mixtures or to ambient air. The behaviour of the analytical response was studied from 0 to 65 microg/m3 by adding increasing amounts of BTEX to the air matrix. Detection limits range from 0.05 to 0.1 microg/m3 for benzene, depending on the fibre. Inter-fibre relative standard deviations (reproducibility) are larger than 18%, although the repeatability for an individual fibre is better than 10%. Therefore, each fibre should be considered to be a particular sampling device, and characterised individually depending on the required accuracy. Sampling indoor and outdoor air by SPME appears to be a suitable short-delay diagnostic method for volatile organic compounds, taking advantage of short sampling time and simplicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Radiochimie, Sciences Analytiques et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tumbiolo
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gal
authors.forename: Pierre-Charles
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.forename: Orfeo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zerbinati
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D002138:Calibration; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014050:Toluene / Q000032:analysis*; D014992:Xylenes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D001554:Benzene; C004912:ethylbenzene