title: Evaluation of Bio-VOC Sampler for Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Exhaled Breath.
abstract: Monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from exhaled breath has been used to determine exposures of humans to chemicals. Prior to analysis of VOCs, breath samples are often collected with canisters or bags and concentrated. The Bio-VOC breath sampler, a commercial sampling device, has been recently introduced to the market with growing use. The main advantage for this sampler is to collect the last portion of exhaled breath, which is more likely to represent the air deep in the lungs. However, information about the Bio-VOC sampler is somewhat limited. Therefore, we have thoroughly evaluated the sampler here. We determined the volume of the breath air collected in the sampler was approximately 88 mL. When sampling was repeated multiple times, with the succeeding exhalations applied to a single sorbent tube, we observed linear relationships between the normalized peak intensity and the number of repeated collections with the sampler in many of the breath VOCs detected. No moisture effect was observed on the Tenax sorbent tubes used. However, due to the limitation in the collection volume, the use of the Bio-VOC sampler is recommended only for detection of VOCs present at high concentrations unless repeated collections of breath samples on the sampler are conducted.
authors.affiliation: The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. jaekwak@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jae
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.affiliation: Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. maomian.fan@us.af.mil.
authors.forename: Maomian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: UES, Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. sean.harshman.ctr@us.af.mil.
authors.forename: Sean W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Harshman
authors.affiliation: The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. cegarris@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Garrison
authors.affiliation: The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. victoria_dershem@mymail.eku.edu.
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Dershem
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. jeffrey.phillips.17@us.af.mil.
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. claude.grigsby@us.af.mil.
authors.forename: Claude C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Grigsby
authors.affiliation: Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. darrin.ott@us.af.mil.
authors.forename: Darrin K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ott