Continuous chemiluminescence determination of formaldehyde in air based on Trautz–Schorigin reaction

A new continuous method for the determination of formaldehyde in air is described. A cylindrical wet effluent diffusion denuder is used for the collection of formaldehyde from air into a thin film of absorption liquid (distilled-deionized water). Formaldehyde in the denuder concentrate is on-line detected employing a chemiluminescence flow method based on a reaction of formaldehyde and gallic acid with hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline solution. The collection efficiency of formaldehyde is quantitative at the air flow rate of 0.5 L min−1 (absorption liquid flow rate of 336 μL min−1). The limit of detection (S/N = 3) is 0.60 μg m−3 HCHO (0.49 ppb). The calibration graph is linear up to 300 μg m−3 HCHO (244 ppb). The relative standard deviations of chemiluminescence method for 1 × 10−6 and 5 × 10−6 M HCHO are 2.87% and 1.49%, respectively. Acetaldehyde interferes negligible, other compounds do not interfere. The method was employed for formaldehyde measurement in ambient air. The comparison measurement illustrates the good agreement of results obtained by proposed method with those obtained by reference fluorimetric method.