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Determination of ethylene oxide by solid-phase microextraction device with on-fiber derivatization
1Department of Occupational Safety and Health and Institute of Environmental Medicine, China Medical College 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan. shihwei@mail.cmc.edu.tw
Journal of Chromatography. A
|April 22, 2003
Summary
This study validates a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device as a reliable time-weighted average (TWA) sampler for ethylene oxide. The developed method offers accurate monitoring of ethylene oxide exposure levels.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Ethylene oxide is a toxic industrial chemical requiring accurate exposure monitoring.
- Traditional sampling methods can be cumbersome and lack real-time capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device as a passive time-weighted average (TWA) sampler for ethylene oxide.
- To assess the performance of the SPME sampler under various environmental conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fiber coated with hydrogen bromide (HBr) within a PTFE tubing assembly.
- Employed a dynamic generation system to create known ethylene oxide concentrations and relative humidities (RHs).
- Analyzed samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Main Results:
- Determined optimal adsorption (30 s) and desorption (5 min) times for the SPME fiber.
- Established an experimental sampling constant of (2.96 +/- 0.09) x 10(-2) cm3/min.
- Found no significant impact of face velocity (0-0.25 m/s) or RHs (10-80%) on sampler performance.
Conclusions:
- The SPME device functions effectively as a TWA sampler for ethylene oxide.
- The developed method is robust across a range of face velocities and relative humidities.
- This offers a practical solution for monitoring workplace exposure to ethylene oxide.