Polydimethylsiloxane-based permeation passive air sampler. Part I: Calibration constants and their relation to retention indices of the analytes

A simple and cost effective permeation passive sampler equipped with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane was designed for the determination of time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air. Permeation passive samplers have significant advantages over diffusive passive samplers, including insensitivity to moisture and high face velocities of air across the surface of the sampler. Calibration constants of the sampler towards 41 analytes belonging to alkane, aromatic hydrocarbon, chlorinated hydrocarbon, ester and alcohol groups were determined. The calibration constants allowed for the determination of the permeability of PDMS towards the selected analytes. They ranged from 0.026 cm2 min−1 for 1,1-dichloroethylene to 0.605 cm2 min−1 for n-octanol. Further, the mechanism of analyte transport across PDMS membranes allowed for the calibration constants of the sampler to be estimated from the linear temperature programmed retention indices (LTPRI) of the analytes, determined using GC columns coated with pure PDMS stationary phases. Statistical analysis using Student's t test indicated that there was no significant difference at the 95% probability level between the experimentally obtained calibration constants and those estimated using LTPRI for most analyte groups studied. This correlation allows the estimation of the calibration constants of compounds not known to be present at the time of sampler deployment, which makes it possible to determine parameters like total petroleum hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.