SHORT-TERM MEASUREMENTS OF ACROLEIN IN AMBIENT AIR

A method has been developed for the determination of acrolein in air s amples collected by a high-volume aqueous scrubber. The aldehyde is co llected as the bisulfite adduct, which is decomposed before determinat ion of acrolein by DNPH (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine) derivatization an d HPLC. Approximately 95 %, of the acrolein reacts with DNPH within 3 h at DNPH:HSO3 molar ratios of up to 10. The method appears promising for short-term air sampling at 8 L min(-1), enabling the achievement o f a detection limit of 0.2 mu g m(-3) for acrolein.