Laboratory methods for volatile organic compounds evolved in mineralization studies

Abstract

A system to study mineralization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was developed using commercially available solid-phase VOC traps and impingers to collect CO 2 as well as VOCs breaking out from the solid-phase trap. The efficiencies of VOC traps containing activated charcoal (AC) or graphitized carbon black (GCB) for absorbing [ 14 C]trichloroethylene ([ 14 C]TCE) and 14 CO 2 were evaluated, and approaches for minimizing VOC losses from reaction vessels were established. Mass balances showed AC and GCB absorbed similar amounts of [ 14 C]TCE. However, GCB had no detectable 14 CO 2 retention, whereas AC absorbed about 7% of the 14 CO 2 . Because 14 CO 2 absorption could influence the interpretation of mineralization experiments, GCB was concluded to be the better VOC-trapping matrix.