Evaluation of thermal catalytic decomposition of organic compounds with TiO2 by packed-capillary gas chromatography.

A novel method for evaluating the thermal catalytic decomposition of organic compounds on a solid acid catalyst was developed using a capillary gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) equipped with a packed-capillary column. The thermal catalytic decomposition of various organic compounds was investigated by introducing gaseous or liquid organic compounds into a heated test tube packed with TiO2 particles. The resulting carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the test tube were determined in a conventional capillary GC system with a methanizer after separation on a packed-capillary column. In the packed-capillary GC system, several parameters affecting thermal catalytic reactions of various organic compounds were successfully evaluated, such as the type of the catalysts and the effect of catalytic temperatures. Finally, a sequential decomposition of organic compounds was confirmed in the heated reaction tube packed with TiO2 particles.

Determination of breath isoprene and acetone concentration with a needle-type extraction device in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Isoprene in human breath is said to be related to cholesterol metabolism, and the possibility of the correlations with some clinical parameters has been studied. However, at this stage, no clear benefit of breath isoprene has been reported for clinical diagnosis. In this work, isoprene and acetone concentrations were measured in the breath of healthy and obese subjects using a needle-type extraction device for subsequent analysis in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to investigate the possibility of these compounds as an indicator of possible diseases. METHODS: After measuring intraday and interday variations of isoprene and acetone concentrations in breath samples of healthy subjects, their concentrations were also determined in 80 healthy and 17 obese subjects. In addition, correlation between these breath concentrations and the blood tests result was studied for these healthy and obese subjects. RESULTS: The results indicated successful determination of breath isoprene and acetone in this work, however, no clear correlation was observed between these measured values and the blood test results. CONCLUSIONS: Breath isoprene concentration may not be a useful indicator for obesity or hypercholesterolemia.

Double-bed-type extraction needle packed with activated-carbon-based sorbents for very volatile organic compounds.

A novel needle-type sample preparation device was developed for the determination of very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs) in gaseous samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two types of activated-carbon-based sorbents, Carbopack X and a carbon molecular sieve (CMS), were investigated as the extraction medium. A double-bed-type extraction needle showed successful extraction and desorption performance for all investigated VVOCs, including acetaldehyde, isoprene, pentane, acetone, and ethanol. Sensitive and reliable determination of VVOCs was achieved by systematically optimizing several desorption conditions. In addition, the effects of sample humidity on the extraction and desorption of analytes were investigated with the needle-type extraction devices. Only the CMS packed extraction needle was adversely affected by sample humidity during the desorption process; on the other hand the double-bed-type extraction needle was unaffected by sample humidity. Finally, the developed double-bed-type extraction needle was successfully applied to the analysis of breath VVOCs of healthy subjects.

Needle-type extraction device for the purge and trap analysis of 23 volatile organic compounds in tap water.

We developed a rapid determination technique for trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in tap water by introducing a novel needle-type extraction device coupled to a purge-and-trap method. To extract a wide range of VOCs, a new extraction needle containing particles of divinylbenzene and activated carbon was developed in this study. During the active sampling of the headspace gas in a glass vial by the extraction needle, pure N2 gas was used for purging the aqueous sample. After the optimization of several experimental parameters, such as the addition of the salt and conditions of dry purging and desorption, the extraction performance of the device and method was evaluated for 23 VOCs that are typically found in tap water samples. The quantification limits of the method were 0.6 µg/L for 1,1-dichloroethylene and less than 0.5 µg/L for other VOCs, with good repeatability being confirmed for all the target compounds. Taking advantage of the excellent recovery of VOCs, the determination of VOCs in real tap water samples was carried out successfully. Because the developed method does not require sample heating and/or cryogenic focusing, simple and rapid analyses can be performed along with satisfactory sensitivity for typical tap water samples.

Rapid temperature-programmed separation of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide on a packed capillary column in gas chromatography: application to the evaluation of photocatalytic activity of TiO2.

Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were determined in a conventional capillary gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) by introducing a packed-capillary column and a methanizer. Due to good compatibility with rapid temperature-programmed operation of the packed capillary column, several volatile compounds, including CO and CO2, were rapidly eluted along with satisfactory resolution and sample loading capacity. The limit of quantifications of CO and CO2 were 5 and 3 ppm, respectively, with an injection volume of 0.5 mL. The developed system was then successfully applied to evaluating the photocatalytic decomposition of volatile organic compounds on titanium dioxide (TiO2).

Rapid on-site air sampling with a needle extraction device for evaluating the indoor air environment in school facilities.

A rapid on-site air sampling technique was developed with a miniaturized needle-type sample preparation device for a systematic evaluation of the indoor air environments in school facilities. With the in-needle extraction device packed with a polymer particle of divinylbenzene and activated carbon particles, various types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were successfully extracted. For evaluating the indoor air qualities in school facilities, air samples in renovated rooms using organic solvent as a thinner of the paint were analyzed along with measurements of several VOCs in indoor air samples taken in newly built primary schools mainly using low-VOCs materials. After periodical renovation/maintenance, the time-variation profile of typical VOCs found in the school facilities has also been monitored. From the results, it could be observed that the VOCs in most of the rooms in these primary schools were at a quite low level; however, a relatively higher concentration of VOCs was found in some specially designed rooms, such as music rooms. In addition, some non-regulated compounds, including benzyl alcohol and branched alkanes, were detected in these primary schools. The results showed a good applicability of the needle device to indoor air analysis in schools, suggesting a wide range of future employment of the needle device, especially for indoor air analysis in other types of facilities and rooms including hospitals and hotels.

Novel sample preparation technique with needle-type micro-extraction device for volatile organic compounds in indoor air samples.

A novel needle-type sample preparation device was developed for the effective preconcentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air before gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. To develop a device for extracting a wide range of VOCs typically found in indoor air, several types of particulate sorbents were tested as the extraction medium in the needle-type extraction device. To determine the content of these VOCs, air samples were collected for 30min with the packed sorbent(s) in the extraction needle, and the extracted VOCs were thermally desorbed in a GC injection port by the direct insertion of the needle. A double-bed sorbent consisting of a needle packed with divinylbenzene and activated carbon particles exhibited excellent extraction and desorption performance and adequate extraction capacity for all the investigated VOCs. The results also clearly demonstrated that the proposed sample preparation method is a more rapid, simpler extraction/desorption technique than traditional sample preparation methods.