Development and validation of new analytical method for acrolein in air

A new method was developed to determine vapor-phase acrolein in air samples. Air containing vapor-phase acrolein was purged into impingers filled with a dichloromethane solution of N-methylhydrazine. The resulting derivative, 1-methyl-2-pyrazoline, was analyzed by gas chromatography using a nitrogen-phosphorous detector (NPD). The detection limit was 8.9 pg 1-methyl-2-pyrazoline, equivalent to 5.9 pg acrolein. The recovery efficiencies of vapor-phase acrolein were 98.0 +/- 2.9% and 100.3 +/- 3.1% for 150 and 15 micrograms, respectively. This method was satisfactorily applied for determination of acrolein formed from various heated fats. The amounts of acrolein formed in a headspace were 109 micrograms/L from lard, 164 micrograms/L from corn oil, 5.1 micrograms/L from cotton seed oil, and 163 micrograms/L from sunflower oil.