Determination of Three Aldehydes in the Air of Working Environments

Abstract

The quantitative determination of glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde and acrolein in air samples, taken at hospitals, engine shops and at one garage is described. Known volumes of air were drawn through sampling tubes, containing Amberlite XAD-2, coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine as adsorption material. The hydrazones formed were desorbed using acetonitrile as eluent. The separation of these compounds was performed on a RP C-18 column; for detection at .lambda. = 365 nm an UV spectrofotometer was used. The limits of detection-based on a 3 1 air sample and an injection volume of 15 .mu.l - were estimated to be: for glutaraldehyde: 0.02 mg/m3 of air; for formaldehyde: 0.04 mg/m3 of air, for acrolein: 0.015 mg/m3 of air; (at 95% conf. level); The analytical method is validated within the following ranges (expressed in mg aldehyde/m3 of air); glutaraldehyde: 0.04-2.1; formaldehyde: 0.12-1.8; acrolein: 0.07-1.3. The precision of the method, expressed as the mean value of the relative standard deviation of 6 independent measurements, was .+-. 9% for glutaraldehyde, .+-. 7% for formaldehyde, .+-. 8% for acrolein. The precision (total) includes sampling (.+-. 5%) and analysis. The accuracy of the method, expressed as recovery after desorption (comparison: standard solutions), was between .+-. 10% and .+-. 20% for all three aldehydes within the ranges mentioned above.