[Proposal for a new method of thermal desorption of solvents from passive personal samplers]

A new thermic desorption method for some organic solvents from the passive dosimeters (Mod. TK 200) is described. The single active carbon leaft after solvent absorption have been put at 200 C into a oven connected with the gas-chromatograph injector. After 10 minutes of "static thermic desorption", the carrier flow (nitrogen), which usually goes through the gas-chromatograph in injector and columns, is diverted into the desorption oven and into the gas-chromatograph injector by means of a manual valve. After 5 seconds the initial route of the carrier is restored and the fraction of the solvents dragged by the carrier is analyzed. Subsequently each active carbon leaf is desorbed several times to study the trend of desorption rate of the solvent from the passive dosimeters. The data obtained from n-hexane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, methyl ethyl ketone, cycloexane and trichloroethilene seem to suggest that the "static termic desorption, is an useful method, although further investigations are needed.