Trace determination of volatile sulfur compounds by solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Analysis

Background:

• Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are significant air pollutants with diverse industrial and environmental implications.
• Accurate and simultaneous determination of multiple VSCs is crucial for effective monitoring and risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of nine key volatile sulfur compounds in gas samples.
• To optimize extraction and detection parameters for enhanced analytical performance.

Main Methods:

• Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with a Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane fiber for preconcentration.
• Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for separation and detection.
• Experimental design (DoE) for optimizing SPME extraction time and temperature.

Main Results:

• Successful simultaneous determination of nine VSCs: carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide, ethyl sulfide, ethyl methyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, isopropanethiol, methanethiol, methyl disulfide, and methyl sulfide.
• Achieved low detection limits, ranging from 1 ppt (v/v) for carbon disulfide to 350 ppt (v/v) for hydrogen sulfide.
• Demonstrated linear calibration functions up to 20 ppb (v/v) for all target compounds.

Conclusions:

• The developed SPME-GC-MS method provides a robust and sensitive approach for the simultaneous analysis of multiple volatile sulfur compounds.
• This method is suitable for accurate quantification in gas samples, aiding in environmental monitoring and industrial process control.