Determination of airborne organic vapor mixtures using charcoal tubes

The charcoal tube method for organic vapor analysis has been extensively utilized by this laboratory to monitor factory environments throughout a multisite manufacturing complex. Atmospheres sampled generally contain several chemicals that contribute to total exposure, and it is necessary to modify procedures developed for individual compounds. Examples of such alterations, to effect acceptable collection/recovery of organic analytes, are cited. Topics discussed include selection of desorption solvent, influences of temperature and polar compounds on desorption efficiency, and overall efficiency as a superior measure of method validity. A simple qualitative analysis scheme described in the literature is used to suport identification of chromatographic peaks. A critique of this technique is presented along with a practical factory analysis application.