The aim of this research is to develop dynamic and diffusive personal air sampling methods for vapors of carbonyl compounds that allow picogram detection so as to be usable in the workplace, in-doors, and at hazardous waste sites. These compounds are irritative to mucous membranes, and are also thought to be the irritative components of smoke from fires and to bacco; diesel, gasohol and combustion engine emissions; and photochemical smog. The success of the proposed method would result in the same chemicals being usable for both gas chromatographic/flame ionization or electron capture or mass spectrometer detection, and high performance liquid chromatographic/ultraviolet detection. There will be sufficient sensitivity to detect the carcinogens, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, furfural, and crotonaldehyde. The proposed method will allow most carbonyl compound vapors/gases to be sampled and analyzed with specificity and quantitative recovery and precision, an advantage since there are few commercially available authentic standards for the present aldehyde dynamic sampling methods, and there is loss of volatile ketones for charcoal tube sampling. The hypothesis is that O- (2,3,4,5, 6- pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) coated Tenax GC sorbent will allow efficient and sensitive sampling of carbonyl vapors in both the dynamic and diffusional sampling modes independent of relative humidity and storage. The specific steps to prove the hypothesis are: synthesis of the pure PFBOA derivatives to be able to optimize resolution on chromatographic columns; generation of vapors using static general ion systems under different conditions of humidity and temperature to prove that dynamic vapor sampling is efficient and sensitive; and development of diffusive sampling badges that are quantitative and sensitive under the same conditions as dynamic sampling and defined face velocities but using an air dilution system and syringe pumps to generate carbonyl compound vapors. Finally a field validation pilot study is proposed on embalmers and unexposed personnel at a funeral home to assess the relationship between dynamic and passive sampling techniques.
