Development of a mobile spectrometer laboratory for on-site atmospheric measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Many instrumental techniques are being developed with the potential for monitoring air toxics including gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GC/FID), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (GC/FT-IR), gas chromatography Fourier transform infrared spectrometry mass spectrometry (GC/FT-IR/MS), mass spectrometry (MS), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). Some of these techniques are now being used on-site; however, a great deal of analysis is being carried out on samples collected by canisters or traps. Long path-length cells and multi-reflection long path-length cells have been implemented for the measurement of atmospheric pollutants by infrared spectrometry. However, irregardless of the specific instrumental method, analytical integrity may be jeopardized when samples are collected and analyses subsequently carried out in an on-site or off-site laboratory.; A mobile laboratory has been developed at Kansas State University to measure atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a high resolution Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. The mobile FT-IR spectrometer system was developed to perform on-site measurements and analyses so that results can be obtained and reported more rapidly.; The FT-IR spectrometer has been tested with a co-monitoring technique, whole-air stainless steel canister samples. The co-monitoring was performed both during controlled releases of VOCs and uncontrolled releases of VOCs. This co-monitoring technique was incorporated to test the qualitative and quantitative capabilities of the FT-IR spectrometer. The controlled VOC releases were performed for the most part at the University of Kansas, in collaboration with Dr. Dennis D. Lane of the KU Civil Engineering Department. The uncontrolled VOC releases took place at an oil refinery and a chlorinated hydrocarbon (freon) production facility.