Continuous Monitoring of Organic Pollutants

N J I T
posted on 06/30/2009

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A method and device for the continuous monitoring of very low level concentrations of materials such as volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutant levels in a fluid (gaseous or liquid) stream, including stack gases and waste water. The fluid stream passes through an on-line micro sorbent trap (OLMT) for entrapment of VOCs. The pollutants are concentrated in the OLMT and electrically rapidly heated to simulate an injection into a gas chromatograph system or other detector. The concentration and heating steps are effected at predetermined time intervals and temperature conditions with correlation to known fluid flow rates. Pollutants separate in the chromatographic column with a chromatograph being obtained with each injection for identification of pollutants and respective pollution levels. Alternatively, without chromatograph, a single peak is obtained which represents the total quantity of pollutants in the fluid stream. The OLMT enhances sensitivity such that low concentrations can be acureately measured on a continuous basis. The device can further include a sampling valve which
samples the fluid stream into the OLMT and then connects the OLMT with a GC carrier gas to avoid incompatible gas flow though the OLMT or the GC detector.