[Determination of low concentration VOCs in air by a newly designed needle trap device]

Targeting on the problem of atmospheric VOCs that are presenting low concentration and difficult for sampling, a newly designed needle trap device with carboxen 1000 as a sorbent material was developed. The main advantages of needle trap device are the simple methodology,the easiness and the rapidity of the analysis coupling with GC-MS. No solvent was used in all experiments. Volatile analytes benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) were chosen as target compounds to validate this device from theory to real application. The experimental parameters as breakthrough volume of stripping gas were investigated. LOD ranges was obtained at 0.05 ng x mL(-1), and the standard recovery was from 86.5% to 110.5% respectively. Needle trap device is suitable for sampling in field.