ABSTRACT
Both natural sources and human activities cause pollutants in the air. Analysis is performed on many different sorts of gaseous samples and for many different reasons. Such gases as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides are products of combustion of various sorts, as well as emissions from other processes, both anthropogenic and natural. Ozone, produced in ambient air by reactions involving sunlight, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons, is an indicator of other pollutants, and has deleterious effects on both health and materials. Radon is usually determined in indoor air, to determine the need for remediation. Volatile organic compounds in atmospheric samples include those compounds which have a sufficient vapor pressure at ambient temperatures to keep them in the vapor phase. Adsorbent trapping is one method which concentrates the desired materials as the sample air is passed through a trap or cartridge containing an appropriate adsorbent. Adsorbent traps are available commercially, or can be packed in the laboratory.
