The invisible toxic air we breathe

The air we breathe may be slowly killing us and growing concerns over the harmful effects of hazardous air pollutants have led to increase in volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring programs worldwide. Regulations are evolving, requiring laboratories to monitor more compounds more frequently and to detect ever-lower levels in ambient air. In India experts are considering updating and improving the country’s standard VOC monitoring methodologies.

The classes of chemical compound that contribute to ‘air pollution’ are diverse and each group presents unique challenges to air monitoring. Thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography offers a simple, robust, solvent and cryogen-free solution to routine monitoring of many air pollutants. In this presentation Dr S. K. Tyagi will outline the challenges of air pollution and how methods for tackling it are evolving in India. Hannah Calder of Markes International will introduce the instrumentation at the heart of these new methods – analytical thermal desorbers.

Key learning objectives

• How India’s VOC monitoring methods are evolving and what to expect in the future
• How thermal desorption–GC-MS can be implemented to help monitor and tackle pollution
• When to utilise offline and online techniques to answer specific environmental concerns

This is a unique opportunity to hear Dr Tyagi on his work related to VOC monitoring and the creation of standard methods to do this in India.

You will also learn how techniques such as sorbent tube sampling, canister sampling and online monitoring can simplify the process of monitoring pollution and increase data confidence from Markes' Senior Environmental Specialist, Hannah Calder.

Who should watch?

• Those interested in standardisation and methods for monitoring VOCs
• Research institutes
• Government laboratories
• Contract laboratories interested in offering VOC monitoring services