Determinació de compostos orgànics volàtils i semivolàtils en atmosferes urbanes i industrials del camp de Tarragona

by Ras Mallorquí, Maria Rosa

Abstract In the framework of the present Doctoral Thesis different analytical methods to determine three groups of organic compounds present in the atmosphere have been developed. The groups of studied compounds have been volatile organic compounds, volatile organic sulfur compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The developed methods were based on the analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and active sampling of air into solid sorbents and subsequent thermal desorption, solid phase microextraction and high volume sampling of the particulate phase of air in quartz fibre filters and of the gas phase in polyurethane foam cartridges followed by solvent extraction by both, ultrasonic bath and pressurized liquid extraction. These methods have been applied to the monitoring of these compounds in different urban and industrial areas from Tarragona Region, area which is characterized by an extensive development of chemical and petrochemical industry. Moreover, no data about these compounds in the atmosphere of this region is available.