This document describes an indoor air analysis method using thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (TD/GC/MS), and the creation of an Indoor Air Toxics Database. The database contains retention times and mass spectra for 171 volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. With the use of the database and Agilent's Deconvolution Reporting Software (DRS), it is possible to identify these compounds within 2 to 3 minutes after TD/GC/MS analysis. The document also discusses the features and capabilities of DRS, as well as the analysis results of air samples from an office building and a carpet warehouse.
The document presents a method developed by Agilent Technologies and Markes International for analyzing indoor air pollutants. It utilizes a retention-time-locked mass spectral database containing 171 volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, specifically designed for use with the Agilent Deconvolution Reporting Software (DRS). The method allows for the identification of these compounds in just 2 to 3 minutes following thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis.
The technique employs a new Indoor Air Toxics Database combined with DRS capabilities, such as deconvoluting overlapping mass spectra to identify unresolved GC peaks reliably. The application details the instrumentation used, including the Markes UNITY Thermal Desorber and Agilent 6890N Gas Chromatograph coupled with an Agilent 5975 Mass Selective Detector, along with specific software configurations like ChemStation, AMDIS, and NIST MS Search.
It is possible to identify any of the target compounds in just 2 to 3 minutes after a TD/GC/MS analysis.
Six- or twelve-liter air samples were collected by pumping at 200 mL/min.
DRS was able to identify more than 80 compounds in the office air.