title: The method for on-site determination of trace concentrations of methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide in air using a mobile mass spectrometer with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, combined with a fast enrichment/separation system.
abstract: A method for fast simultaneous on-site determination of methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide in air was developed. The target compounds were actively collected on silica gel, followed by direct flash thermal desorption, fast separation on a short chromatographic column and detection by means of mass spectrometer with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. During the sampling of ambient air, water vapor was removed with a Nafion selective membrane. A compact mass spectrometer prototype, which was designed earlier at Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, was used. The minimization of gas load of the atmospheric pressure ion source allowed reducing the power requirements and size of the vacuum system and increasing its ruggedness. The measurement cycle is about 3 min. Detection limits in a 0.6 L sample are 1 ppb for methyl mercaptan and 0.2 ppb for dimethyl sulfide.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Spectrometry, Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Akademika Koptyuga Prosp., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; Novosibirsk State University, 2, Pirogova Ul., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.
authors.forename: Andrey S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kudryavtsev
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Spectrometry, Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Akademika Koptyuga Prosp., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia. Electronic address: makasal@ipgg.sbras.ru.
authors.forename: Alexey L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Makas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Spectrometry, Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Akademika Koptyuga Prosp., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.
authors.forename: Mikhail L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Troshkov
authors.affiliation: Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Ulan-Batorskaya Ul., Irkutsk 664033, Russia.
authors.forename: Mikhail А
authors.initials: MА
authors.lastname: Grachev
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Spectrometry, Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Akademika Koptyuga Prosp., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.
authors.forename: Sergey P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Pod'yachev
mesh_terms: D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013440:Sulfides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; C005231:methylmercaptan; C004784:dimethyl sulfide
keywords: Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; Dimethyl sulfide; Malodorous sulfur compounds; Methyl mercaptan; Mobile mass spectrometer; On-site analysis