Comparison of Tenax and Proprietary Tubes for Monitoring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Ambient Air

Authors

• Chunrong Jia, School of Public Health
• Xianqiang Fu, School of Public Health
• Adam Nored, School of Public Health
• Namuun Batbaatar, School of Public Health
• Larry Smith, Shelby County Health Department

Abstract

The systematic tests in this study confirmed the excellent performance of the TD technique for monitoring PAHs in the air. In the laboratory, blank Tenax and PAH tubes had trace-level PAHs ranging from from 0-0.31 ng/tube and 0-0.82 ng/tube, respectively. The calibration with Tenax tubes showed an average precision of 9.2%, R² from 0.9959-1.0000, and method detection limits (MDLs) from 0.056-3.64 ng/m³. The calibration of PAH tubes showed an average precision of 10.1%, R² from 0.9945-1.0000, and MDLs from 0.065-5.91 ng/m³. Field blanks showed trace PAH levels of 0-1.25 ng/tube and 0-0.71 ng/tube in Tenax and PAH tubes, respectively. The measured PAH concentrations displayed a good agreement between the two tubes. Laboratory and field tests suggest both tubes are suitable for measuring PAHs in the ambient air; however, the proprietary PAH tube did not exhibit additional sampling efficiency or analytical sensitivity over the general Tenax TA tube.

Publication Title

Proceedings of the Air and Waste Management Association S Annual Conference and Exhibition Awma

Recommended Citation

Jia, C., Fu, X., Nored, A., Batbaatar, N., & Smith, L. (2023). Comparison of Tenax and Proprietary Tubes for Monitoring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Ambient Air. Proceedings of the Air and Waste Management Association S Annual Conference and Exhibition Awma, 2023-June Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/facpub2/1027