Products shown here are concerned with sample extraction from the vapour phase.
Active sampling (pumped sampling) onto sorbent tubes is one of the most versatile TD sampling methods, used to target both known and unknown sample environments. This approach involves use of a pump to actively draw an air sample through the sorbent tube to trap the target analytes.
Breath sampling is a valuable approach for obtaining information used for disease diagnosis, monitoring of metabolic stress and personal exposure to chemicals. Breath samples can be collected using a number of techniques, which can then be used with thermal desorption to extract and concentrate the VOCs, maximising sensitivity for analysis of trace-level target compounds while minimising interferences.
‘Whole air’ sampling refers to collection of samples in the field using canisters or bags, or their direct introduction to the focusing trap of the thermal desorption instrument without the use of sorbent tubes (online sampling). The compounds remain in the gas phase throughout.
Passive sampling (diffusive sampling) onto sorbent media uses the principle of Fick’s First law of Diffusion to target known sample environments. Here analytes migrate to the surface of a sorbent bed at a rate dependent on conditions including: the geometry of the sampler, the air gap between the front surface of the sorbent and the sample environment, and the time of exposure.
Quantitative purge-and-trap with GC(–MS) is a common approach for the analysis of VOCs and SVOCs in soil, but it involves labour-intensive sample preparation and pre-screening analysis. Soil probes are a complementary approach to purge-and-trap for analysis of VOCs in soil vapour that overcomes many of these issues. Their use supports compliance with ASTM D7758.
Markes’ application specialists are active on committees working on standard methods, and also in the development of products to support method compliance. A variety of standard methods are available for monitoring specific VOCs often in prescribed sample types. For example, an automobile industry standard method might focus on materials such as plastic, leather or foam.
Markes’ starter kits are designed to provide the essentials needed to get a thermal desorption system up and running quickly, by providing a single package with items such as tubes, traps, tools and other accessories.
Canisters for air sampling (often referred to as SUMMA® canisters) have long been used to monitor volatile organic ‘air toxics’. Whole air canister sampling is a simple form of ‘grab’ sampling and is useful for sampling very volatile, non-polar compounds such as C2 to C12 hydrocarbons and the most volatile freons, which can be difficult to retain quantitatively on sorbent tubes at ambient temperature.
