A versatile and uncomplicated method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in ambient urban air

A method was developed for sampling and selective quantitative determination of typical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient urban air. A mobile and self-contained dual-channel air sampling tool based on solid phase adsorption was constructed. A simple calibration procedure circumventing the adsorption/desorption process was designed. The method was validated for seven “key-analytes”: n-hexane, 3-methyl-2-pentene, benzene, tetrachloroethene, styrene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and acetophenone. The complete air sampling equipment is easily accommodated in a business suitcase. The lower limits of the practical working ranges are between 0.1 μg m^–3 (tetrachloroethene) and 1.2 μg m^–3 (benzene). Air samples were collected at a location in Salzburg with heavy motor vehicle traffic and measured in order to prove a satisfactory method performance under practical monitoring conditions. Received: 4 January 1998 / Revised: 14 September 1998 / Accepted: 21 October