Toward an Event-Based and Quality-Assured Air Sampling: A Portable System for Sensing and Sampling Volatile Organic...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors offer high-resolution air quality data but lack pollutant composition information and are affected by interference.
• Laboratory analysis of air samples, often using adsorptive enrichment, provides reliable data but lacks real-time capabilities.
• Current methods present a trade-off between real-time monitoring and detailed, quality-assured air sample analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable, modular system integrating real-time sensor monitoring with sequential active air sampling.
• To combine the advantages of immediate sensor feedback with the credibility of laboratory-analyzed air samples.
• To enhance air quality monitoring by providing both high temporal resolution and detailed pollutant composition data.

Main Methods:

• Development of a portable system featuring a 3D-printed sensor chamber for up to 4 gas sensors and a sampler module for up to 32 sorbent tubes.
• Integration of real-time ambient air monitoring with quality-assured active sampling.
• Inclusion of continuous recording of mass flow controller pressure and temperature for leakage and clogging detection, with remote data access for malfunction identification.

Main Results:

• The developed system successfully integrates real-time gas sensing with active sampling capabilities.
• Built-in monitoring of sampling parameters (pressure, temperature) allows for detection of system malfunctions.
• Remote data access facilitates long-term measurements with reduced operator presence.
• The system is powered by a lightweight, solar-chargeable battery, enhancing its portability.

Conclusions:

• The novel portable system effectively bridges the gap between real-time air quality monitoring and reliable sample analysis.
• This integrated approach offers a more comprehensive and robust solution for environmental monitoring of volatile organic compounds.
• The system's design addresses limitations of existing methods, enabling efficient and credible air quality assessment.