An air to water bridge:  air sampling and analysis using tetraglyme

A water-soluble organic liquid is shown to scrub a wide variety of volatile organic compounds from air and gas streams. Gas pulled through impingers containing chilled tetraglyme (an organic solvent utilized in USEPA methods 3050A and 8240) is found to efficiently trap volatile Priority Pollutant, Hazardous Substance List and other organic species. A portion of the tetraglyme is subsequently dispersed into water and analyzed using conventional water analysis methodology. Practical quantitation limits of 100 ppbv have been demonstrated, and a potential to achieve lower limits of detection is clear. The method offers advantages over canister, adsorption tube, or Tedlar bag air-sampling techniques. Attributes include broad applicability, preservation of sample integrity ("plating out" of analytes is eliminated), freedom from water vapor interference, ready inclusion into water analysis methodology, simplicity, and low cost. Environmental laboratories with ordinary water/volatile organic analysis equipment are enabled to perform air-monitoring analyses without specialized hardware or expertise.