SEDL / STP / STP721-EB / STP27557S

Gas Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Volatile Organics in the Atmosphere

Sievers, RE
Professor and director, senior research associate, research associate, and research assistants, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Barkley, RM
Professor and director, senior research associate, research associate, and research assistants, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Denney, DW
Professor and director, senior research associate, research associate, and research assistants, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Harvey, SD
Professor and director, senior research associate, research associate, and research assistants, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Roberts, JM
Professor and director, senior research associate, research associate, and research assistants, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Bollinger, MJ
Professor and director, senior research associate, research associate, and research assistants, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Delany, AC
Research scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.

Pages: 19    Published: Jan 1980

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Abstract

Trace-level vapor-phase organic components in tropospheric samples have been identified using combined glass capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Samples were collected on Tenax-GC sorbent from an aircraft sampling port at various locations over North America and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The compounds found in these samples include n-alkanes (hexane to pentadecane), alkenes, benzene and alkylbenzenes, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, dichlorobenzenes, dimethyldisulfide, and benzaldehyde. The concentrations of benzene and toluene were determined to be in the range of <0.1 to 1.3 ppb and <0.1 to 5 ppb, respectively. These values are comparable to those found for land-based samples.