ABSTRACT
Methods for monitoring volatile organics in air may be classified as one of two types: analytical methods which detect and quantitate pollutants on site, and, collection techniques which concentrate organics on some type of sorbent for later analysis. Analytical methods are capable of providing concentration profiles which describe both short-term peak concentrations and time-weighted-average concentrations. Several studies have identified and quantitated large numbers of volatile organics in the indoor environment at concentrations ranging from 100 ppt in a new unoccupied hospital to 10-20 ppb in occupied offices, homes, and schools. Solid sorbents are the materials most commonly employed for collecting vapor phase organics. Organic polymer adsorbents include materials such as Tenax GC and the XAD resins. Recovery of volatile organics loaded onto field controls after a 10-week storage period. The major problem with the use of Tenax GC is low breakthrough volumes for volatile organics.
