Page:NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods - 1611.pdf/3
METHYLAL, as As: METHOD 1611, Issue 2, dated 15 August 1994 - Page 3 of 3
- Remove and discard back sorbent section of a media blank sampler.
- Inject a known amount (1 to 20 μL) of pure methylal or a standard solution of methylal in hexane directly onto front sorbent section with a microliter syringe.
- Cap the tube. Allow to stand overnight.
- Desorb (steps 5 through 7) and analyze together with working standards (steps 11 and 12).
- Prepare a graph of DE vs. mg methylal recovered.
- Analyze three quality control blind spikes and three analyst spikes to ensure that the calibration graph and DE graph are in control.
- Set gas chromatograph according to manufacturer's recommendations and to conditions given on page 1611-1. Inject sample aliquot manually using solvent flush technique or with autosampler.
NOTE: If peak area is above the linear range of the working standards, dilute an aliquot of the desorbed liquid with hexane, reanalyze, and apply the appropriate dilution factor in calculations. - Measure peak area.
Method S71 [2] was issued on February 14, 1975, and validated over the range 1684 to 6670 mg/m 3 at 22 °C using 2-L air samples [1]. Samples of methylal in dry air were generated using a three-neck round-bottom generator flask containing the liquid methylal. An accurately measured flow of nitrogen gas was used to sweep the vapors out of the flask. Overall precision, s r, was 0.060 with average recovery of 104%. Desorption efficiency was 78, 81, and 88%, respectively, at 3.1, 6.2, and 12.3 mg methylal taken per sample. Breakthrough (5% on back section) occurred at 20 min when sampling an atmosphere containing 6250 mg/m 3 methylal at 0.183 L/min at 0% RH. Breakthrough at high humidity was not tested, nor was sample stability.
[1] Documentation of the NIOSH Validation Tests, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Publ. (NIOSH) 77-185 (1977), available as GPO Stock #017-033-00231-2 from Superintendent of Documents, Washington, DC 20402.
[2] NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods, 2nd ed., Vol. 2, S71, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Publ. (NIOSH) 77-157-B (1977).
Ardith A. Grote, NIOSH/DPSE; S71 originally validated under NIOSH Contract CDC-99-74-45.