Development of a Personal Aerosol Sampler for Monitoring the Particle–Vapour Fractionation of SVOCs in Workplaces

Abstract Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), partitioned between particulates and vapours of an aerosol, require special attention. The toxicological effects caused by the inhalation of such aerosols may depend on the concentration and in which phase the organic compounds are found. A personal denuder-gas–particle separation aerosol sampler was developed to provide information about the partitioning of aerosols from organic compounds. The sampler was tested in a series of controlled laboratory experiments, which confirmed the capability and accuracy of the sampler to measure gas–particle mixtures. An average difference of 14.8 ± 4.8% was found between sampler and reference laboratory instruments. The obtained results showed that our sampler enables a more accurate measurement of the SVOC aerosols’ gas–particle fractionation, compared with that of conventional samplers.

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Production of fungal volatile organic compounds in bedding materials

Agricultural and Food Science ◽

10.23986/afsci.72785 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 219-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Saana Lappalainen ◽

Anna-Liisa Pasanen ◽

Pentti Pasanen ◽

Pentti Kalliokoski

Keyword(s):

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Laboratory Experiments ◽

Fungal Growth ◽

Co2 Production ◽

Growth Media ◽

Emission Rates ◽

Potential Growth ◽

Volatile Organic ◽

Bedding Materials

The high relative humidity of the air and many potential growth media, such as bedding materials, hay and grains in the horse stable, for example, provide suitable conditions for fungal growth. Metabolic activity of four common agricultural fungi incubated in peat and wood shavings at 25°C and 4°C was characterized in this study using previously specified volatile metabolites of micro-organisms and CO2 production as indicators. The volatile organic compounds were collected into Tenax resin and analysed by gas chromatography. Several microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), e.g. 1-butanol, 2-hexanone, 2-heptanone, 3-octanone, 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octanol were detected in laboratory experiments; however, these accounted for only 0.08-1.5% of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). Emission rates of MVOCs were 0,001-0.176 μg/kg of bedding materials per hour. Despite some limitations of the analytical method, certain individual MVOCs, 2-hexanone, 2-heptanone and 3-octanone, were also detected in concentrations of less than 4.6 μg/m3 (0.07-0.31% of TVOC) in a horse stable where peat and shavings were used as bedding materials. MVOC emission rate was estimated to be 0.2-2.0 μg/kg x h-1 from bedding materials in the stable, being about ten times higher than the rates found in the laboratory experiments. Some compounds, e.g. 3-octanone and 1-octen-3-ol, can be assumed to originate mainly from microbial metabolisms.

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Investigating monoterpene ozonolysis reactions in the mobile DouAir atmospheric simulation chamber: field and laboratory experiments

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14892 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmad Lahib ◽

Hichem Bouzidi ◽

Nina Reijrink ◽

Marius Duncianu ◽

Emilie Perraudin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Laboratory Experiments ◽

Peroxy Radical ◽

Chemical Transformations ◽

Peroxy Radicals ◽

Model Simulations ◽

Chemical Mechanisms ◽

Volatile Organic ◽

Biogenic Compounds

The chemistry of the atmosphere is usually studied using three different approaches, i.e. field measurements, laboratory studies and chemical model calculations. All three are complementary and powerful means to investigate chemical transformations of pollutants and improve our understanding of the atmosphere. Atmospheric simulation chambers are one of the most direct and critical approaches to mimic and examine chemical transformations under controlled experimental conditions. In combination with box model simulations, they allow assessment of the accuracy of chemical mechanisms implemented in atmospheric models.During the CERVOLAND field campaign (Characterisation of Emissions and Reactivity of Volatile Organic compounds in the LANDes forest) we deployed a new mobile atmospheric chamber (DouAir) to probe the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in real air masses. Biogenic compounds emitted by the surrounding forest (mainly pines - (Maritime pine, Pinus pinaster Ait) were trapped in DouAir and their transformations were probed using state-of-the-art online instrumentation, including PTR-ToF-MS (VOCs), PERCA (peroxy radicals), O3 and NOx analysers, and SMPS (aerosols).The objectives of the present study were to (1) reproduce in the laboratory selected field experiments performed during CERVOLAND, the chemical composition of the air mass being simplified, and (2) compare both the field and laboratory results to 0-D box model simulations using the Master Chemical Mechanisms (MCM). Comparing field observations, laboratory experiments and model simulations provides a critical test of our understanding of atmospheric oxidation processes involving biogenic compounds.Here, we present ozonolysis experiments of primary biogenic VOCs (mainly monoterpenes) under dark conditions. Initial conditions used for the laboratory experiments were derived from reactant concentrations trapped in DouAir during CERVOLAND. The results show the capability of the model to reproduce oxidation rates of primary VOCs within uncertainty, although the model considerably overestimates measured peroxy radical concentrations. The addition of rapid self- and cross-reactions of monoterpene-derived peroxy radicals in the MCM improves the agreement with the measured peroxy radical concentrations.

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