Dynamic solid phase microextraction for sampling of airborne sarin with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry for rapid field detection and quantification

Abstract

A portable dynamic air sampler and solid phase microextraction were used to simultaneously detect, identify, and quantify airborne sarin with immediate analysis of samples using a field portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system. A mathematical model was used with knowledge of the mass of sarin trapped, linear air velocity past the exposed sampling fiber, and sample duration allowing calculation of concentration estimates. For organizations with suitable field portable instrumentation, these methods are potentially useful for rapid onsite detection and quantification of high concern analytes, either through direct environmental sampling or through sampling of air collected in bags.

Solid Phase Microextraction Combined with Gas Chromatography - A Powerful Tool for the Determination of Chemical Warfare Agents and Related Compounds

“…In the determination of airborne sarin, a composite PDMS/DVB fiber coating proved appropriate for SPME sampling and injection into GC [25]. When a portable GC-MS system was used for the determination of sarin extracted to the PDMS/DVB coating with the use of a rapid portable dynamic air sampler (PDMS)-SPME system, a sarin peak with a 3:1 noise ratio was obtained at a concentration of 0.10 mg m -3 , which is half the value immediately dangerous to life and health.…”

“…Table 4 presents the published applications of SPME combined with GC. The table reveals that SPME was used in numerous cases to collect samples of air [25,73], water [6,8,72,74] and soil [2,5,6,7,10,72] and some other materials, such as, e.g. clothing material [71] for gas chromatographic determination of CWAs, their precursors and degradation products.…”

“…Currently the most important analytical tools used to determine CWAs, especially in complex environmental samples are modern separation techniques; mainly gas chromatography and liquid chromatography [18][19][20]; the former being equipped with sensitive and selective detectors such as an atomic emission detector [21,22], multidetection systems [23], and increasingly often coupled with mass spectrometry [2,10,21,[24][25][26]. Comprehensive reviews of the application of powerful separation techniques in the analysis of CWAs were published by Hooijschuur et al [19] and Witkiewicz et al [20].…”

Utilisation of separation methods in the analysis of chemical warfare agents

“…Ion mobility spectrometry belongs among the methods that can be used as a rapid screening technique for identification of unknown chemicals [59,60]. Seto et al compared this detection technique with the others (detection paper, gas detection tube, surface acoustic wavelength detector, flame photometric detector) and found it to be suitable for rapid and sensitive detection of nerve and blistering agents [61].…”

“…The solution is to confirm the results with off-site analysis in a fully equipped laboratory or to use a field portable hyphenated technique. Such instrumentation with a dynamic air sampler and SPME was used to simultaneously detect, identify, and quantify sarin in air samples [59]. At this juncture, we should also make mention of biosensors as representatives of other than separation techniques.…”