Presentation Profile
Passive Monitoring – A Guide to Sorbent Tube Sampling for EPA Method 325
Currently Scheduled: 1/19/2018 - 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
Room: Exhibit Hall
Main Author
Nicola Watson - Markes International
- Wade Bontempo - Markes International
- Matt Edwards - Markes International
Abstract:
US EPA Method 325 has been developed to enable refineries to comply with the updated US federal regulation CFR 40, and requires monitoring of VOCs around the boundary of refineries. This involves two-week passive (diffusive) sampling onto sorbent tubes, followed by analysis by thermal desorption (TD) in conjunction with gas chromatography (GC), with analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) or other detection technique.
While benzene is the primary target compound, the sampling and analysis methodology can also be used to determine other VOCs, including butadiene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). This paper will explain the stepwise process of the method and discuss how innovative sampling and analytical instrumentation is used to fully comply with Method 325.
