State-Of-The-Art Analytical Techniques for Ambient Vapor Phase Organics and Volatile Organics in Aqueous Samples from Energy-Related Activities

Abstract

The presence of organic components in the ambient air is a fact of life in a modern society, since volatile organic compounds are ubiquitous. Automobile exhaust, fossil fuel burning, and the chemical industry contribute many organic compounds to the air. It is not unreasonable to expect that products from reactions of these chemicals with NO₂ and SO₂, by photochemical (1–5) or other processes, will be also observed in the atmosphere (6). However, many organic constituents are suspected to enter the environment directly by industrial pollution (7). Carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds find frequent use as intermediates in organic synthesis, e.g., in the preparation and use of plastics, fabrics, dyes, resins, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc. Organic solvents, heavily used in industry, are also sources of high levels of organic vapors.