Merlen C., Verriele M., Crunaire S., Ricard V., Kaluzny P., Locoge N., 2016, Assessment of Uncertainty in Measurements of Reduced Sulfur Compounds by Active Sampling on Tenax TA® Tubes, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 54, 37-42.
The interest in on-field ppbV level measurements of odorous compounds is growing over the last decade because of the olfactory annoyance related to industrial development near residential areas. The volatile reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) are identified as the main contributors to environmental unpleasant smells because of their low olfactory thresholds and their specific odor. The active sampling through cartridges filled with Tenax TA® is recognized as the most suitable method for the RSC measurements in ambient air. However, any comprehensive qualification and validation of this method was made. That’s why, this study assesses the active sampling parameters on Tenax TA® (sampling flow and breakthrough volumes), performances (detection limit, repeatability) and the uncertainties in measurement of 6 different RSCs at ppb levels. A breakthrough volume of 1L was determined for an optimal sampling flow of 40 mL/min. Storage and humidity represent the two major contributors to the global uncertainty. Indeed, the relative uncertainty on storage at -21°C was estimated between 10% for the sulfides and 38% for the mercaptans and the relative uncertainty associated to humidity was found to be 36% for the most volatile RSCs at a relative humidity of 60% (20°C).
