Abstract
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), some of which are extremely toxic, are present at low concentrations in incinerator flue gases. The on-line real-time measurement of these compounds is necessary, since these concentrations fluctuate drastically with the process conditions used. Supersonic jet/resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SSJ/REMPI/TOF-MS), which provides both high selectivity and sensitivity, appears suitable for application to the on-line real-time monitoring of PCDD/Fs. In this review, the resonant ionization wavelengths of PCDD/Fs and their precursors are given. Moreover, improvements in SSJ/REMPI/TOF-MS that lead to enhanced sensitivity and selectivity are presented. That is, novel ionization sources and advanced ionization schemes are reported for the sensitive measurement of PCDD/Fs and their precursors. Those techniques are advantageous for the trace analysis of these compounds.
