Gas chromatographic analysis of acetic acid in air

A gas chromatographic (GC) method is presented for the specific determination of acetic acid in air. Air samples are collected in fritted midget bubblers containing aqueous sodium carbonate. Aliquots of the absorbent solution are esterified and GC analysis performed on the headspace. The formation of the ester is directly proportional to the concentration of the acetic acid concentration in the absorbent. The method is applicable to concentrations of acetic acid in air over the range of 2.0 mg/m3 to 75 mg/m3, and can be extended to include higher concentrations by quantitative dilution of samples.