Abstract

This paper is a preliminary investigation into the use of a thermal desorption-gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (TD-GC-IR-MS) method to determine stable carbon isotopic compositions ( δ 13C) of low molecular-weight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in airborne samples (e.g. industrial and car exhaust emissions) as a means of differentiating their sources in the environment. A TD-GC-IR-MS method for obtaining δ 13C of VOCs (benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene and propylbenzene) in air samples has been optimised, and is proven to be both reproducible and linear. The δ 13C of the VOC standards was found to be comparable (within analytical error) to that obtained from direct GC-IR-MS analysis. This novel method of VOC analysis is valuable in environmental and forensic investigations.

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