| Title: | Sample integrity evaluation and EPA method 325B interlaboratory comparison for select volatile organic compounds collected diffusively on Carbopack X sorbent tubes |
| Author(s): | Oliver KD; Cousett TA; Whitaker DA; Smith LA; Mukerjee S; Stallings C; Thoma ED; Alston L; Colon M; Wu T; Henkle S; |
| Address: | "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Jacobs Technology Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Alion Science and Technology, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Independent Consultant, Raleigh, NC, USA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Senior Environmental Employment Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.05.042 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1352-2310 (Print) 1352-2310 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "A sample integrity evaluation and an interlaboratory comparison were conducted in application of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Methods 325A and 325B for diffusively monitoring benzene and other selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using Carbopack X sorbent tubes. To evaluate sample integrity, VOC samples were refrigerated for up to 240 days and analyzed using thermal desorption/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at the EPA Office of Research and Development laboratory in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. For the interlaboratory comparison, three commercial analytical laboratories were asked to follow Method 325B when analyzing samples of VOCs that were collected in field and laboratory settings for EPA studies. Overall results indicate that the selected VOCs collected diffusively on sorbent tubes generally were stable for 6 months or longer when samples were refrigerated. This suggests the specified maximum 30-day storage time of VOCs collected diffusively on Carbopack X passive samplers and analyzed using Method 325B might be able to be relaxed. Interlaboratory comparison results were in agreement for the challenge samples collected diffusively in an exposure chamber in the laboratory, with most measurements within +/-25% of the theoretical concentration. Statistically significant differences among laboratories for ambient challenge samples were small, less than 1 part per billion by volume (ppbv). Results from all laboratories exhibited good precision and generally agreed well with each other" |
| Keywords: | "1, 3-Butadiene Benzene Carbopack X sorbent tubes EPA Method 325 Refinery fenceline rule Sample integrity evaluation;" |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEOliver, Karen D Cousett, Tamira A Whitaker, Donald A Smith, Luther A Mukerjee, Shaibal Stallings, Casson Thoma, Eben D Alston, Lillian Colon, Maribel Wu, Tai Henkle, Stacy eng EPA999999/Intramural EPA/ England 2017/08/01 Atmos Environ (1994). 2017 Aug; 163:99-106. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.05.042" |
