Headspace Analysis of Some Typical Organic Pollutants in Drinking Water Using Differential Detectors: Effects of Columns and Operational Parameters

Abstract

Environmental analytical procedures in the United States are largely based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods. Different procedures have been adopted by the European Union (EU). In the United States, the determination of volatile organic compounds in drinking water employs purge and trap sampling followed by gas chromatography with photoionization and electrolytic conductivity detection. European analysts perform an "equivalent" priority pollutant analysis using static headspace injections and electron-capture detection. Some of the compounds included on the EPA list (1) do not appear on the EU lists (2) and vice versa. A distinctive difference is the use of megabore (greater than 0.45-mm i.d.) capillary columns in the EPA methods. European analysts are reluctant to adopt these columns in their methodologies. In this work, several open-tubular column dimensions are investigated and optimized with particular attention given to problems encountered when columns are interfaced to purge and trap or static headspace analyzers. Also, EPA and EU priority pollutant methods are contrasted according to the method of detection.

Radiation Chemistry of Methyltert-Butyl Ether in Aqueous Solution

“…A stainless steel tanker was used to prepare the solutions, using standard lime-softened Miami tap water (45), and mixing was accomplished using a 200 gpm (0.76 m 3 min -1 ) pump to circulate the solution prior to treatment. MTBE concentrations were determined using a computer controlled GC equipped with a headspace sampler and flame ionization detector (46).…”

Quantitative analysis of earthy and musty odors in drinking water sources impacted by wastewater and algal derived contaminants

“…To ensure exact quantification 2-MIB and geosmin, an internal standard, 4-bromoflurobenzene (BFB), was added to samples and standards prior to extraction to account for sample matrix effects. BFB is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that can be used as an internal standard for surface water and drinking water samplings using GC-MS detection, and it has been found to be a suitable internal standard for the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water as well as fish, sediment, soil, analysis of hazardous air pollutants and air quality in car parking lots (Mehran et al, 1996;Schumacher and Ward, 1997). BFB was chosen as internal standard since it elutes quickly and does not interfere with target analytes.…”

Simultaneous Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Alkylphenols, Phthalate Esters and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Environmental Waters Based on Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction Followed by Gas Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry

“…Some OMPS are bioaccumulative [8] and could reach the higher levels of trophic chain, like humans [9,10]. In the other hand, ground and surface waters are used as a source of drinking water [11], as well as for agricultural, recreational, commercial and industrial activities [12][13][14]. Consequently, water pollution can be a threat to the ecosystem and the public health.…”