Evaluation of Anasorb CMS and comparison with Tenax TA for the sampling of volatile organic compounds in indoor and outdoor air by breakthrough measurements

The most widely used technique for the sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor and outdoor air is preconcentration on a solid sorbent. The evaluation of the ability of a sorbent to trap specific VOCs is usually checked by measuring the breakthrough volume (BTV) of a compound on the sorbent. In this work, Anasorb CMS was evaluated and compared with Tenax TA for the sampling of VOCs commonly found in indoor and outdoor environments. The influence of parameters such as flow-rate, amount of the sorbent and vapour concentration on BTV was studied. The combination of Anasorb CMS and Tenax TA in a two-bed sorbent tube was also investigated for the sampling of complex mixtures of VOCs. The relative standard deviation for triplicate runs of the whole procedure for the evaluation of the sorbent was found to be approximately 3.5%.