A Review of Methods for the Determination of Reduced Sulfur Compounds (RSCs) in Air

Abstract

The importance of reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) in air is well-known for its significant effect on global atmospheric chemistry and malodor and quality of life. In this review, methodological approaches commonly employed for the analysis of RSCs such as hydrogen sulfide, methane thiol, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and dimethyl disulfide in air are described. To this end, we focus on gas chromatography (GC) because it is the most feasible, frequently used, and widely accepted approach for the analysis of RSC in air. The advantages and possible limitations related to sampling and/or preconcentration methods are also discussed. The relative performance of different GC-based detection methodologies is evaluated in terms of basic quality assurance. Some alternative methods (i.e., other than GC) that deal with the determination of RSCs in air matrices are also discussed briefly. Finally, this review addresses the methodological developments of RSC analysis by highlighting current limitations and future developments.

Small-Chamber Measurements of Chemical-Specific Emission Factors for Drywall

“…Tenax has been found to be a suitable sorbent material for actively sampling reactive sulfur compounds (Devai and Delaune, 1996;Pandey and Kim, 2009;Baltussen et al, 1999) but we were unable to retain the ultra volatile reactive sulfur gases in the GC inlet during thermodesorption. Therefore, the active sampling using Tenax/Carbosieve sorbent tubes was used only for the VSCs and the SPME method was developed (both approaches described later) for the RSGs.…”

“…Each container was plumbed with a dedicated inlet and outlet line and mounted on a panel for easy access. To eliminate interference by atmospheric oxidants (Pandey and Kim, 2009), dry house air was passed through an activated carbon filter followed by a HEPA filter; then part of the air stream was passed through a bubbler containing deionized water. A small amount of activated carbon was placed in the bubbler reservoir.…”

“…A small amount of activated carbon was placed in the bubbler reservoir. The wet and dry air streams were remixed to produce the desired relative humidity and avoid problems associated with high humidity (Pandey and Kim, 2009). The humidified air was delivered at approximately 250 cubic centimeters per minute (cc/min; 1.4 air changes per hour [ACH]) to each chamber using flow-control valves and taper-tube flow meters.…”

“…The SCD has a number of advantages for sulfur gas analysis over other detectors, including a wide linear range and equimolar response for all sulfur compounds, plus very good sensitivity and selectivity (Hua et.al., 2004;Yan, 2006;Pandey and Kim, 2009). The equimolar response allows for the quantification of all analytes in the sample, even unknowns, based on a single standard calibration.…”

“…Reactive Sulfur Gases LBNL explored various active sampling methods for quantifying the reactive sulfur gases, including (1) on-line cryogenic sampling whereby chamber air is drawn directly into a cryogenically cooled thermodesorption tube and desorbed into the cooled injection system (see Pandey and Kim, 2009 for discussion of cryogenic trapping), (2) on-line cryogenic sampling through a Nafion drying tube (http://www.permapure.com/) to reduce icing in the cryogenic trap and inlet, and (3) direct large-volume (1 to 5 cc) injection from chamber to cooled injection system. Various sorbent materials and temperature regimes also were tested.…”