LAUSR

Passive sampling of VOCs with Tenax® TA and thermal desorption GC-MS analysis is a simple, cost efficient and representative method to determine VOCs concentrations in indoor air. In theory, the uptake into the passive sampler is only dependent on the diffusion coefficient of the analyte in air and the geometry of the sampler (ideal adsorption). For characterization, the uptake rate (UR) is used, defined as the ratio of the uptaken mass and the exposure dose (ED - product of ambient concentration and exposure time). Various reported effective uptake rates (UR,eff) differ considerably from ideal values (UR,id). While existing compilations sort these experimental values essentially by the applicable exposure time, detailed information about the corresponding concentration range and other important influencing factors is often lacking. Moreover, the number of itemized substances is limited. To expand this data, we conducted own laboratory experiments. By quantification of measurement uncertainty and comparison of our own results to several similar laboratory studies, we want to characterize the range of applicability and level of confidence of effective uptake rates for indoor air VOCs.