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Laboratory methods for volatile organic compounds evolved in mineralization studies
Author(s) -
Hickey William J.,
Arnold Scott M.,
Moran Bridget N.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620141103
Subject(s) - mineralization (soil science) , chemistry , environmental chemistry , trichloroethylene , volatile organic compound , charcoal , carbon black , activated carbon , activated charcoal , total organic carbon , organic chemistry , adsorption , nitrogen , natural rubber
A system to study mineralization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was developed using commercially available solid‐phase VOC traps and impingers to collect CO 2 as well as VOCs breaking out from the solid‐phase trap. The efficiencies of VOC traps containing activated charcoal (AC) or graphitized carbon black (GCB) for absorbing [ 14 C]trichloroethylene ([ 14 C]TCE) and 14 CO 2 were evaluated, and approaches for minimizing VOC losses from reaction vessels were established. Mass balances showed AC and GCB absorbed similar amounts of [ 14 C]TCE. However, GCB had no detectable 14 CO 2 retention, whereas AC absorbed about 7% of the 14 CO 2 . Because 14 CO 2 absorption could influence the interpretation of mineralization experiments, GCB was concluded to be the better VOC‐trapping matrix.