Characteristics of a Real Time Monitor Using the Interference Enhanced Reflection Method for Organic Vapors

Abstract

Performance and sensor characteristics of a monitor for volatile organic compounds (VOC monitor) using the interference enhanced reflection (IER) method were investigated for 52 organic solvent vapors that are designated as class 1 and class 2 organic solvents by the Ordinance of Organic Solvent Poisoning Prevention in Japan. Test vapors were prepared by injecting 1 to 3 μl of liquid solvent into a 20 l Tedlar(®) bag and perfectly vaporizing them. The vapor concentration was simultaneously measured with the monitor and a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with flame ionization detector, and both values were compared. The monitor could detect all the solvent vapors that we used. Linear response was obtained between the concentration measured by the monitor and those by the GC. The monitor could detect 1/10 of the administrative control level for 37 of 52 solvent vapors, including toluene and xylenes. For 15 vapors, on the other hand, the monitor could not be used for the working environment measurement because the sensor response was low or the regression lines did not pass through the origin.

Outdoor air monitoring: Performance evaluation of a gas sensor to assess episodic nuisance/odorous events using active multi-sorbent bed tube sampling coupled to TD-GC/MS analysis

“…In some cases, performance evaluation tests of the sensors have been conducted at high VOCs concentrations (Morsi et al, 2013, Spinelle et al, 2017Liu et al, 2019); however, good responses at much lower concentrations, around the average values that can be expected indoors/outdoors in reality, are being pursued (Bastuck et al, 2018;Choi et al, 2019;Nazemi et al, 2019). On the other hand, some sensors have been only calibrated for a specific compound (Hori et al, 2013). In this last case, as the sensitivity of the sensor will be different depending on the kind of VOC, the results obtained using a sensor calibrated with a single compound may differ from reality depending on the VOC content of the sample (Hori et al, 2013).…”

“…On the other hand, some sensors have been only calibrated for a specific compound (Hori et al, 2013). In this last case, as the sensitivity of the sensor will be different depending on the kind of VOC, the results obtained using a sensor calibrated with a single compound may differ from reality depending on the VOC content of the sample (Hori et al, 2013). Furthermore, as VOCs include a broad spectrum of compounds with very diverse physicochemical properties, the assessment of VOCs using sensors is a challenging issue, as sensors may have good performances for specific compounds and/or groups of compounds but be ineffective in detecting other substances (Schieweck et al, 2018).…”

Quantitation of sevoflurane in whole blood and aqueous solutions by volatile organic compound sensing

“…Then, the concentration of the respective volatile organic compound is determined from this difference (Hori, Ishimatsu, Fueta, Hinoue, & Ishidao, 2015). Previous studies (Hori, Ishimatsu, Fueta, Hinoue, & Ishidao, 2013, 2015 have investigated the effectiveness of VOC quantitation using the same real-time monitor, comparing the results obtained for several VOCs (including xylene and ethyl acetate) and correlating them with those obtained by GC.…”

Comparison of sensor characteristics of three real‐time monitors for organic vapors

“…Although this monitor had high sensitivity and a linear response was obtained for many solvents, it showed low or no response for some solvents with a high ionization potential. Next, we also tested a monitor with the interference enhanced reflection (IER) method 6) under the same experimental conditions. The IER sensor could also detect many organic vapors.…”