Volatile Organic Compounds In Air Research Articles

Effect of the Dispersion Process and Nanoparticle Quality on Chemical Sensing Performance.

On the surface of chemiresistive films, the scarce heterogeneity of a molecularly capped gold nanoparticle (MCGNP) colloidal dispersion and uneven evaporation of the MCGNP-contained drying drop applied to this surface are among the main factors that affect reproducibility, and repeatable fabrication of thin films of MCGNPs. This article shows that an increase in reproducibility and repeatability is possible using a dispersant and a surfactant during the deposition and annealing processes of the MCGNP. The results show higher sensitivity and accuracy of the sensors for the detection of volatile organic compounds in air and an increased limit of detection. These simple and practical additions might serve as a launching pad for fabrication of other types of thin-film-based sensors.

Changes in the urine volatile metabolome throughout growth of transplanted hepatocarcinoma

Trained detection dogs distinguish between urine samples from healthy organisms and organisms with malignant tumors, suggesting that the volatile urine metabolome contains information about tumor progression. The aim of this study was to determine whether the stage of tumor growth affects the chemical differences in the urine of mice and to what extent the "olfactory image of disease" perceived by dogs coincides with the "image of disease" recorded by the mass spectrometer. We used a novel laser ionization mass spectrometry method and propose a mass spectrometric analysis without detailed interpretation of the spectrum of volatile metabolomes in urine. The mass spectrometer we use works without sample preparation and registers volatile organic compounds in air at room temperature without changing the pH of the sample, i.e. under conditions similar to those in which dogs solve the same problem. The experimental cancer models were male BDF-f1 hybrid mice transplanted with hepatocarcinoma tissue, and similar mice transplanted with healthy liver tissue were used as controls. Our data show that both dogs and our proposed laser mass spectrometry method are able to detect both the entire spectrum of volatile organic compounds associated with the disease and minor changes in this spectrum during its course.

Integration of a micropreconcentrator with solid-phase microextraction for analysis of trace volatile organic compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The analysis of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in environmental air is important because toxic VOCs induce adverse effects on human health. Although gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is the standard instrument for analysis of trace VOCs in air, this mode of analysis requires preconcentration and cryogenic processes. The preconcentration and subsequent thermal desorption of VOCs require special instruments and a long time of processing sample that significantly limit applications of GC–MS for monitoring indoor and outdoor VOC levels. Using a microfabricated preconcentrator for VOC analysis also has the challenge of a large sample volume for concentration. Using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for VOC analysis by GC–MS often approaches the limit of detection of the GC–MS instrument for trace VOCs in air. This work reports a simple method to integrate microfabricated preconcentrators with commercial SPME fibers in a two-stage concentration processes to achieve rapid and reliable measurement of trace VOCs in air by GC–MS. We designed and fabricated a preconcentrator with micropillars in a microfluidic chamber to support sorbents and to increase the heat transfer rate to the sorbents for rapid thermal desorption. The effects of air flow rates through the preconcentrator on VOCs adsorption and thermal desorption were optimized for increasing analytical accuracy of VOCs measurements. The integration of a micropreconcentrator with SPME enabled measurements of sub-ppb levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), and trichloroethylene (TCE) in environmental air by GC–MS.

High resolution chemical fingerprinting and real-time oxidation dynamics of asphalt binders using Vocus Proton Transfer Reaction (PTR-TOF) mass spectrometry

Asphalt binders are complex mixtures with a molecular configuration that varies with source and its chemical composition is not fully understood. Understanding the building blocks of binders is critical to fully interpret important characteristics including oxidative transformations. This study explored the use of the Vocus proton transfer reaction time-of-flight (PTR-TOF) mass spectrometer for the high resolution chemical fingerprinting of asphalt binders along with the observation of their real time oxidation dynamics. Three different binders were selected to examine the sensitivity of this technique under different gas blankets namely nitrogen, volatile organic compounds (VOC) free air and ozone-enriched VOC free air. Hierarchical clustering revealed differences in the degree of chemical expression of various molecules in different binders, which could be attributed to their unique primary differences and chemical transformations. The results also indicated that even higher intensities of molecules could be observed under the ozone-enriched blanket and increased temperatures indicating that this environment contains reactive precursors which could promote oxidation. Finally, real-time oxidation characteristics of binders were explored through factor analysis (FA) which elucidated possible pathways for binder oxidation, for example, through benzylic routes. Overall, the work conducted in this study points to the remarkable potential of this novel analytical technique to fingerprint asphalt binders with a high time and chemical resolution. This work also sets the stage for further work in understanding asphalt binder composition and multi-scale transformations, inspiring a database of chemical fingerprints related to macro-level properties.

Rapid determination of 30 volatile organic compounds in workplace air by gas chromatography

Objective: To establish a method for rapid detection of DB-WAX capillary column and determination of the workplace air in 30 kinds of volatile organic pollutants. Methods: In August 2020, N-pentane, n-hexane, methylcyclohexane, octane, Acetone, ethyl acetate, butanone, benzene, 3-pentanone, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, butyl acetate, 2-hexanone, Isoamyl acetate, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, m-xylene, amyl acetate, o-xylene, chlorobenzene, styrene, cyclohexanone, P-chlorotoluene, bromobenzene, M-dichlorobenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, O-dichlorobenzene, o-Chlorotoluene, 1, 2 , 4-trichlorobenzene of 30 kinds of substances in air were collected by activated carbon tube. After analysis by carbon disulfide, the analytical solution was analyzed by DB-WAX column and determined by FID detector. Results: The above 30 kinds of volatile organic pollutants had good separation effect, the correlation coefficient of the standard curve was above 0.999, the relative standard deviation was 0.1%-3.2%, the desorption efficiency was 77.0%-117.1% , the lower limit of quantitation was 0.33-5.33 μg/ml, and the lowest quantitation concentration was 0.22-3.55 mg/m(3), the recoveries ranged was 95.4%-104.9%. Conclusion: The method can effectively separate and accurately determine 30 volatile organic compounds in these workplaces, and the method is simple and quick.

Role of water in unexpectedly large changes in emission flux of volatile organic compounds in soils under dynamic temperature conditions

Understanding the diffusive transport behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in near-surface soils is important because soil VOC emissions affect atmospheric conditions and climate. Previous studies have suggested that temperature changes affect the transport behavior; however, the effect of these changes are poorly understood. Indeed, under dynamic temperature conditions, the change in VOC flux is much larger than that expected from the temperature dependency of the diffusion coefficient of VOCs in air. However, the mechanism is not well understood, although water in soil has been considered to play an important role. Here, we present the results of experiments for the upward vertical vapor-phase diffusive transport of two VOCs (benzene and tetrachloroethylene) in sandy soil under sinusoidal temperature variations of 20–30 °C, as well as its numerical representation. The results clarify that the unexpectedly large changes in emission flux can occur as a result of changes in the VOC concentration gradient due to VOC release (volatilization) from/trapping (dissolution) into water, and that such flux changes may occur in various environments. This study suggests the importance of a global evaluation of soil VOC emissions by continuous measurements in various soil environments and/or predictions through numerical simulations with thorough consideration of the role of water in dynamic soil environments.

Sources and Seasonal Variance of Ambient Volatile Organic Compounds in the Typical Industrial City of Changzhi, Northern China

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from industrial processes, which are major emission sources of air pollutants, could cause significant impacts on air quality. However, studies on the comprehensive analysis from sources contributing to the health risk perspective regarding ambient VOCs in industrial cities are limited. In this study, VOC samples were collected from 15 April 2018 to 19 October 2018 in Changzhi, a typical industrial city in northern China, and a total of 57 VOCs were measured for analysis. The average VOC concentrations were 54.4 µg·m−3, with the highest concentrations in autumn (58.4 µg·m−3). Ambient VOCs in spring, summer and autumn were all dominated by alkanes (66.8%), with contributions of 70.3%, 66.3% and 63.8%, respectively. The top five concentrations of total VOCs were isopentane (19.0%), ethane (9.5%), n-butane (8.1%), benzene (7.9%) and propane (5.2%), indicating that vehicle exhaust and coal combustion are the main sources of VOCs. Source apportionment by principal component analysis showed that vehicle exhaust (27.5%) and coal combustion (23.5%) were the main sources of VOCs in Changzhi, followed by industrial production (17.4%), solvent evaporation (13.5%), liquefied petroleum gas/natural gas leaking (9.5%), and biogenic emissions (8.7%). Sources of coal combustion and vehicle exhaust contributed more VOCs than industrial production. The carcinogenic risks of benzene (3.4 × 10−5) and ethylbenzene (2.2 × 10−6) were higher than the limit levels (1 × 10−6). Coal combustion contributed most (25.3%) to the carcinogenic risks because of its high VOC emissions. In an industrial city such as Changzhi, vehicle exhaust and coal combustion have become major sources of ambient air VOCs owing to the increasingly stringent industrial standards. Therefore, VOCs from vehicle exhaust and coal combustion also need to take into account mitigation measures for VOCs from the perspective of source contribution to health risk.

VOCs and Odor Episodes near the German-Czech Border: Social Participation, Chemical Analyses and Health Risk Assessment.

People living on both sides of the German–Czech border are subject to episodes of odor air pollution. A joint German–Czech air sampling and risk assessment project was established to identify the substances responsible and their sources. Twenty-four volunteer study participants, 14 from the NW Czech Republic and 10 from Germany (Saxony) reported odors and collected canister samples during sampling periods in winter 2017 and 2018 and autumn 2018. Canister samples and passive samplers were analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and passive samplers were analyzed for VOCs and carbonyls. OAVs (Odor Activity Values) and back trajectories were calculated with the aim of identifying the odor sources. Calculated OAVs were in excellent agreement with perceived smells close to an oil processing plant. Odorants identified in fifty canister samples during odor episodes and carbonyl measurements close to the edible oil processing plant were used for health evaluation. Odors reported by participants in Saxony frequently differed from those reported by participants in the Czech Republic. This suggests that certain sources of odor lying on either side of the border only affect that side and not the other with similar considerations regarding health effects. VOCs, including carbonyls, were also sampled at two relatively remote locations during winters of 2017 and 2018; two main sources of odorous compounds were identified at these sites. Analysis of samples taken at sampling sites shows that VOC air pollution and, to a lesser extent carbonyl pollution, originate from both industrial and local sources. Even though levels of sampled substances were not associated with acute effects at any site, long-term exposures to selected compounds could be cause for concern for carcinogenicity at some sites. Odors in Seiffen were associated with carcinogenic compounds in can samples. Although not necessarily representative of long-term exposures to the compounds studied, results such as these suggest that further study is needed to better quantify long-term exposure to potentially harmful compounds, and to either confirm or deny the existence of substantive health risk.

Photocatalytic Performance of Copper Impregnated Titanium Dioxide Against Aliphatic and Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds in Air

Photocatalytic Performance of Copper Impregnated Titanium Dioxide Against Aliphatic and Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds in Air

The Co-Adsorption Potential of Metal-Organic Framework/Activated Carbon Composites Against Both Polar and Non-Polar Volatile Organic Compounds in Air

The Co-Adsorption Potential of Metal-Organic Framework/Activated Carbon Composites Against Both Polar and Non-Polar Volatile Organic Compounds in Air

A pilot study characterizing tetrachloroethylene exposure with exhaled breath in an impacted community

Martinsville, Indiana overlays four groundwater contamination plumes, including a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-designated Superfund site. The primary contaminants are tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Martinsville represents many similar communities facing the challenge of groundwater and soil contamination and vapor intrusion, where residents are often frustrated by the lack of help in understanding and addressing the problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate PCE in exhaled breath to identify and quantify exposure to PCE and to explore the extent and level of PCE exposure among community residents. We measured chlorinated VOCs in exhaled breath samples from 38 healthy individuals who lived either in a contamination area or outside any plume area. We also measured VOCs in indoor air and tap water samples collected from 10 homes. PCE was detected in all exhaled breath samples (mean: 6.6 μg/m3; range: 1.9–44 μg/m3) and tap water samples (mean: 0.74 μg/L; range: 0.39–0.92 μg/L). PCE was detected in six of nine (66%) homes with air concentrations ranging from 1.6 to 70 μg/m3, exceeding the EPA action level of 42 μg/m3. We did not detect TCE or any other chlorinated VOCs in these samples. PCE exposure occurred among individuals living on the EPA Superfund site, as well as among those living on other plume sites and those living outside any known plumes. Preventive measures should focus on identifying highly exposed groups and reducing their exposures, followed by addressing moderately elevated exposures in the community. Our results demonstrated that PCE in exhaled breath can be used as an effective tool in community engaged environmental health research to evaluate the extent and level of community exposure, increase awareness, and promote residents’ participation in research and site cleanup decision-making.

Influence of Human Behavior on Indoor Air Quality in a Care Facility for the Elderly in Japan

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO2, temperature, and humidity in a private room in a care facility for the elderly were measured and the behavior of a resident and staff were recorded in order to clarify the effects of the resident’s behavior, especially defecation, on indoor air quality. Average indoor concentrations of total VOCs (in μg m−3) in summer, autumn, and winter were 40.9, 16.7, and 18.8, respectively. Average indoor concentrations of CO2 in summer, autumn, and winter were 813, 761, and 1144 ppm, respectively, revealing a tendency for the concentrations of CO2 to be higher in winter, in contrast to the VOC concentration. The concentrations of VOCs and CO2 were 1.1 to 1.5 times higher when the resident was present in the room than when the resident was absent. This result suggests that one of the main sources of VOC and CO2 emissions in indoor air was the resident. Acetic acid, 1-butanol, propanoic acid, hexanoic acid, and phenol, which are contained in human sweat, exhaled air, and excrement, were the predominant VOCs in the air of the room regardless of the season, and these five components accounted for more than 90% of the total VOCs. The concentrations of these components were higher when the resident was present in the room, suggesting that the resident was the main source of these components. Based on the changes in the VOC and CO2 concentrations over time and the records of the resident and the staff, it was noted that VOC concentrations decreased, in some cases, before and after diaper changes. Our research suggests that certain aspects of the behavior of residents can be inferred by monitoring changes in indoor air quality.

Indoor air quality improvement and purification by atmospheric pressure Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP)

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a promising technology for the improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ) by removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through advanced oxidation process (AOP). In this paper, authors developed a laboratory scale dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor which generates atmospheric NTP to study the removal of low-concentration formaldehyde (HCHO), a typical indoor air VOC in the built environment associated with cancer and leukemia, under different processing conditions. Strong ionization NTP was generated between the DBD electrodes by a pulse power zero-voltage switching flyback transformer (ZVS-FBT), which caused ionization of air molecules leading to active species formation to convert HCHO into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). The impact of key electrical and physical processing parameters i.e. discharge power (P), initial concentration (Cin), flow rate (F), and relative humidity (RH) which affect the formaldehyde removal efficiency (ɳ) were studied to determine optimum conditions. Results show that, the correlation coefficient (R2) of removal efficiency dependence on the processing parameters follow the order R2 (F) = 0.99 > R2 (RH) = 0.96, > R2 (Cin) = 0.94 > R2 (P) = 0.93. The removal efficiency reached 99% under the optimum conditions of P = 0.6 W, Cin = 0.1 ppm, F = 0.2 m3/h, and RH = 65% with no secondary pollution. The study provided a theoretical and experimental basis for the application of DBD plasma for air purification in the built environment.

Enhancing the environmental performance of biotrickling filters treating volatile organic compounds in air

The actual biotrickling filtration technology addresses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal from air, by their conversion into less harmful gaseous compounds (e.g. carbon dioxide). The actual study extends this capability towards not only VOCs removal, but also removal of carbon dioxide issued from biodegradation, in the same biotrickling filter (BTF). This upgrade results in higher C-capture and the reduction of greenhouses gases associated with this process, thus increasing the environmental performance of such BTFs. The model pollutant used in this study is ethanol, while a co-immobilised microalgae and compost-derived microorganisms is used for the first time accomplishing the above mentioned desiderate (simultaneously removal of VOC and carbon dioxide in the same BTF), under continuous regime and illumination provided by an array of light-emitting diodes (LED)). Very promising performances are obtained, revealing new competitive alternatives with high potential for further development, in the light of atmospheric protection and climate change issues.

Self-wetting triphase photocatalysis for effective and selective removal of hydrophilic volatile organic compounds in air

Photocatalytic air purification is widely regarded as a promising technology, but it calls for more efficient photocatalytic materials and systems. Here we report a strategy to introduce an in-situ water (self-wetting) layer on WO3 by coating hygroscopic periodic acid (PA) to dramatically enhance the photocatalytic removal of hydrophilic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air. In ambient air, water vapor is condensed on WO3 to make a unique tri-phasic (air/water/WO3) system. The in-situ formed water layer selectively concentrates hydrophilic VOCs. PA plays the multiple roles as a water-layer inducer, a surface-complexing ligand enhancing visible light absorption, and a strong electron acceptor. Under visible light, the photogenerated electrons are rapidly scavenged by periodate to produce more •OH. PA/WO3 exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for acetaldehyde degradation with an apparent quantum efficiency of 64.3% at 460 nm, which is the highest value ever reported. Other hydrophilic VOCs like formaldehyde that are readily dissolved into the in-situ water layer on WO3 are also rapidly degraded, whereas hydrophobic VOCs remain intact during photocatalysis due to the “water barrier effect”. PA/WO3 successfully demonstrated an excellent capacity for degrading hydrophilic VOCs selectively in wide-range concentrations (0.5−700 ppmv).

Insight into the environmental monitoring and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various functional areas

Atmospheric aerosol contamination has caused widespread concern about human and environmental health. However, research about VOCs as an important precursor of secondary aerosols in ambient air is still limited. In this study, VOCs at sites from three typical functional areas in Hefei, China, were monitored using GC–MS/FID. The VOCs in ambient air from different functional areas showed significantly different characteristics. The highest concentrations and the biggest diurnal difference of VOCs were found in the High-tech Zone (industrial area) with serried emission sources. Additionally, lower VOC concentration was observed in Changjiang West Road, the center area of studied city. The VOC concentration in this area is strongly related to other pollutants. The composition of VOCs at all sampling sites showed certain common characteristics, i.e., alkanes, OVOCs, and halogenated hydrocarbons account for more than 75% of the total VOCs’ quality. The High-tech Zone with the highest concentration of VOCs also has the highest proportion of alkanes. Besides, the positive matrix factorization analysis results revealed that vehicle exhaust, LPG volatilization sources, and chemical solvents were the most important VOC emission sources in Hefei. In terms of the contribution of VOC components to the OFP at the three sites, the olefins and alkynes at the Changjiang West Road site and the Science Island site contribute the most significant proportion. In contrast, the OVOCs at the High-tech Zone site contribute the largest proportion.

Volatile Organic Compounds in the Azteca/Cecropia Ant-Plant Symbiosis and the Role of Black Fungi.

Black fungi of the order Chaetothyriales are grown by many tropical plant-mutualistic ants as small so-called “patches” in their nests, which are located inside hollow structures provided by the host plant (“domatia”). These fungi are introduced and fostered by the ants, indicating that they are important for the colony. As several species of Chaetothyriales tolerate, adsorb, and metabolize toxic volatiles, we investigated the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of selected domatia in the Azteca/Cecropia ant-plant mutualism. Concentrations of VOCs in ant-inhabited domatia, empty domatia, and background air were compared. In total, 211 compounds belonging to 19 chemical families were identified. Ant-inhabited domatia were dominated by ketones with 2-heptanone, a well-known ant alarm semiochemical, as the most abundant volatile. Empty domatia were characterized by relatively high concentrations of the monoterpenes d-limonene, p-cymene and β-phellandrene, as well as the heterocyclic sulphur-containing compound, benzothiazole. These compounds have biocidal properties and are primarily biosynthesized by plants as a defense mechanism. Interestingly, most of the latter compounds were present at lower concentrations in ant inhabited domatia than in non-colonized ones. We suggest that Chaetothyriales may play a role in reducing the VOCs, underlining that the mutualistic nature of these fungi as VOCs accumulation might be detrimental for the ants, especially the larvae.

One-year monitoring of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban areas of Malaysia

VOCs have been one of the important limiting factors of O3 photochemical production in the urban tropical region. This study aims to determine the variation and composition of aromatic VOCs as well as their contribution to the O3 formation. The hourly data of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) and ozone (O3) were retrieved from January until December 2019 at three continuous air quality monitoring stations (S1, S2 and S3) operated by the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE). Aromatic VOCs is detected by using an online gas chromatography analyser (GC 5000BTX). The annual average ΣBTEX concentrations ranged from 14.53 ± 12.43 μg m-3 to 25.04 ± 24.04 μg m-3 during the observation period, with toluene as the most dominant species with an average concentration of 10.65 ± 12.12 μg m-3. The O3 formation potential (OFP) was calculated and the results indicated that toluene is the highest contributor of O3-forming potential, followed by m, p-xylene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene and benzene with the value of 127.8 μg m-3 (40.90 %), 103.0 μg m-3 (32.97 %), 48.66 μg m-3 (15.58 %), 26.17 μg m-3 (8.38 %) and 6.74 μg m-3 (2.15 %), respectively. Since the study of VOCs in Malaysia is quite limited, a more comprehensive study is currently underway to integrate the research on variation of VOCs in ambient air and its impact on the environment and human health.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air and tap water samples in residences of pregnant women living in an area of unconventional natural gas operations: Findings from the EXPERIVA study

BackgroundNortheastern British Columbia (Canada) is an area of unconventional natural gas (UNG) exploitation by hydraulic fracturing, which can release several contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To evaluate gestational exposure to contaminants in this region, we undertook the Exposures in the Peace River Valley (EXPERIVA) study. ObjectivesWe aimed to: 1) measure VOCs in residential indoor air and tap water from EXPERIVA participants; 2) compare concentrations with those in the general population and explore differences related to sociodemographic and housing characteristics; and 3) determine associations between VOC concentrations and density/proximity to UNG wells. MethodsEighty-five pregnant women participated. Passive air samplers were analyzed for 47 VOCs, and tap water samples were analyzed for 44 VOCs. VOC concentrations were compared with those from the Canadian Health Measure Survey (CHMS). We assessed the association between different metrics of well density/proximity and indoor air and tap water VOC concentrations using multiple linear regression. Results40 VOCs were detected in >50% of air samples, whereas only 4 VOCs were detected in >50% of water samples. We observed indoor air concentrations >95th percentile of CHMS in 10–60% of samples for several compounds (acetone, 2-methyl-2-propanol, chloroform, 1,4-dioxane, hexanal, m/p-xylene, o-xylene, styrene, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecane and decanal). Indoor air levels of chloroform and tap water levels of total trihalomethanes were higher in Indigenous participants compared to non-Indigenous participants. Indoor air levels of chloroform and acetone, and tap water levels of total trihalomethanes were positively associated with UNG wells density/proximity metrics. Indoor air BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) levels were positively correlated with some well density/proximity metrics. ConclusionOur results suggest higher exposure to certain VOCs in pregnant women living in an area of intense unconventional natural gas exploitation compared with the general Canadian population, and that well density/proximity is associated with increased exposure to certain VOCs.

Novel Graphene Wool Gas Adsorbent for Volatile and Semivolatile Organic Compounds.

Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in ambient air and occupational settings are of great concern due to their associated adverse human health and environmental impacts. Novel graphene wool samplers have been developed and tested to overcome limitations of commercially available sorbents that can only be used once and typically require solvent extraction. Graphene wool (GW) was synthesized by non-catalytic chemical vapor deposition with optimized conditions, resulting in a novel fibrous graphene wool that is very easy to manage and less rigid than other forms of graphene, lending itself to a wide range of potential applications. Here, the air pollutant sampling capabilities of the GW were of interest. The optimal packing weight of GW inside a glass tube (length 178 mm, i.d. 4 mm, o.d. 6 mm) was investigated by the adsorption of vaporized alkane standards on the GW, using a condensation aerosol generator in a temperature-controlled chamber and subsequent detection using a flame ionization detector. The optimized GW packing density was found to be 0.19 mg mm–3 at a flow rate of 500 mL min–1, which provided a gas collection efficiency of >90% for octane, decane, and hexadecane. The humidity uptake of the sampler is less than 1% (m/m) for ambient humidities <70%. Breakthrough studies showed the favorable adsorption of polar molecules, which is attributed to the defective nature of the graphene and the inhomogeneous coating of the graphene layers on the quartz wool, suggesting that the polar versus non-polar uptake potential of the GW can be tuned by varying the graphene layering on the quartz wool substrate during synthesis. Oxidized domains at the irregular edges of the graphene layers, due to a broken, non-pristine sp2 carbon network, allow for adsorption of polar molecules. The GW was applied and used in a combustion sampling campaign where the samplers proved to be comparable to frequently used polydimethylsiloxane sorbents in terms of sampling and thermal desorption of non-polar semivolatile organic compounds. The total alkane concentrations detected after thermal desorption of GW and PDMS samplers were found to be 17.96 ± 13.27 and 18.30 ± 16.42 μg m–3, respectively; thus, the difference in the alkane sampling concentration between the two sorbent systems was negligible. GW provides a new, exciting possibility for the monitoring of organic air pollutants with numerous advantages, including high sampling efficiencies, simple and cost-effective synthesis of the thermally stable GW, solvent-free and environmentally friendly analysis, and, importantly, the reusability of samplers.