Toluene, n-hexane, and methyl ethyl ketone(MEK) were exposed to the activated carbon tiber(ACF) and 3M(Model 3500) diffusive samplers under low and high humidity levels. In order to evaluate these two samplers, the sampling capacity, sampling rate, reverse diffusion, and storage stability were obtained.
At low humidity level(8±3%RH), the adsorption amount of all three organic vapors to the ACF diffusive sampler showed a positive linear relationship up to 8 hours. However, at high humidity level(90±5%RH), n-hexane and MEK maintained a positive linear relationship up to 1.5 hrs, but decreased in their adsorption amounts afterwards. On the other hand, the adsorption amount of n-hexane, MEK, and toluene to 3M diffusive sampler showed almost a positive, linear relationship up to 8 hours at both humidity levels. At low humidity level, there was almost no reverse diffusion for both 3M and ACF diffusive samplers. However, when the ACF diffusive sampler was used at high humidity level, there eras about 52.63% of MEK sample loss and about 92.59%7 of n-hexane sample loss. The storage stabilities of the ACF and 3M diffusive samplers were both relative stable except for MEK. In the case of MEK, the difference between the analysis of the organic vapor right after the sampling and that of 3 weeks later at room temperature was 45% for the ACF diffusive sampler and 18% for the 3M diffusive sampler. Since the storage stability of the samples stored in a refrigerator was relatively stable, they need to be refrigerated until the analysis is done.
|