A new sorbent tube for atmospheric NO_x determination by active sampling

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are significant air pollutants.
• Effective active sampling methods are crucial for air quality monitoring.
• Current sorbent materials have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate hydrated mayenite as a novel reactive substrate for NOx active air sampling.
• To assess the performance of mayenite-based sorbent tubes under different environmental conditions.
• To compare mayenite performance against established triethanolamine (TEA)-based sorbents and a chemiluminescence detector.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hydrated mayenite as the reactive substrate in sorbent tubes for NOx sampling.
• Conducted two monitoring surveys in autumn 2015 and winter 2016 with varying environmental parameters.
• Simultaneously exposed mayenite tubes, TEA-based sorbent tubes, and a chemiluminescence detector for comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• Mayenite-based sorbent tubes showed a close correlation with NOx concentration levels measured by a chemiluminescence analyzer.
• The performance of both mayenite and TEA-based sorbent tubes was evaluated under different environmental conditions.
• Limitations associated with the use of TEA-based sorbents were identified and discussed.

Conclusions:

• Hydrated mayenite is a novel and effective sorbent material for NOx active air sampling.
• Mayenite demonstrates reliable performance across diverse environmental conditions.
• Mayenite offers a viable alternative to traditional TEA-based sorbents, with potential advantages.