title: Application of selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry to real-time atmospheric monitoring.
abstract: Data are presented for real-time atmospheric monitoring of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in air using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) technology. These measurements were made by one of the new generation of SIFT-MS instruments. Results are shown for five VOCs that were continually monitored from a stationary sampling point over a 4-day period: ethene, ethanol, 1,3-butadiene, benzene and toluene. All analytes except ethene in the study have at least two simultaneous and independent measures of concentration. These results demonstrate the great advances in SIFT-MS that have been made in recent years. 1,3-Butadiene is measured at a concentration of 9 pptv with a precision of 44%. For a 1-s integration time, a detection limit of 50 pptv is achieved. Instrument sensitivities are reported for all five analytes.
authors.affiliation: Syft Technologies Ltd., 3 Craft Place, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Milligan
authors.forename: Murray J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McEwan