1994 Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages 325-331
The system for analyzing C2-C6 nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC′s) using the gas chromatographic technique with an Al2O3/KCl PLOT column combined with a canister sampling device was successfully used to measure background air samples. The NMHC compounds stored in a humidified canister were stable. Any contaminated canister was easily cleaned under high-vacuum condition. A total of 52 compounds of C2-C6 NMHC′s were found; 34 of these were identified, and were consistent with results from laboratories around the world. One should be careful concerning eluent peak identification of the isobutane-acetylene and propyne-1-pentane pairs. An absolute quantification of 1-butane was checked within an 8% deviation by participating in an international hydrocarbon experiment. The detection limits were typically in the 10 part-per-trillion (v/v) range. The reproducibility was 5-7% precision at the 1-10ppb level. The system described here is capable of urban, remote and background air studies. Samples were collected at a remote ocean island of Lanyu, Taiwan, during the period from Sep. 20 to Oct. 18, 1992.
