Experimental approach to assess sorptive loss properties of volatile organic compounds in the sampling bag system

In this study, the sorptive loss patterns for volatile organic compounds were evaluated by gaseous standards containing 13 compounds (benzene, toluene, styrene, p-xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, isobutyl alcohol, butyl acetate, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde, and valeraldehyde). The gaseous standards, prepared initially at two contrasting concentration levels (40 and 4000 ppb) in a polyester aluminum bag, were measured after two consecutive transfers into empty bags. It indicates that the percent loss patterns, if assessed for all 13 target compounds, are affected most sensitively by the initial concentration levels of samples to yield 2.62 ± 2.22% (at 40 ppb) and 9.57 ± 6.74% (at 4000 ppb). Moreover, the sorptive loss patterns at high concentration samples (4000 ppb) tend to increase in relation with increasing molecular weight of target compounds, although such pattern disappears in low concentration samples (40 ppb). The observed loss patterns, if evaluated in relation to some key parameters like concentration or compound type, suggest the possibility that the sorptive loss of target compounds in storage media can occur in a predictable manner.