Methods for determination of elemental carbon in ambient air.

A few analytical methods of elemental carbon determination are described. The purpose of the work is to choose the best method for determination of its content in dust suspended in air in industrial regions. The reflectance and chromatographic methods were investigated. It was shown that the reflectance methods could be used only when the particle size and form of elemental carbons constant. The chromatographic method, which includes the step of combustion of the sample in oxygen and chromatographic determination of evolved CO2 is recommended, since it is independent of the form of carbon. Organic carbon is removed from dust samples by extraction with benzene-methanol mixture.