Determination of Carbonyl Compounds in Automobile Exhausts and Atmospheric Samples

Two new methods were developed to determine carbonyl compounds in auto exhaust and atmospheric samples. A gas Chromatographic system using a quartz glass capillary column combined with selective and sensitive electron capture detection was used. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives of the carbonyl compounds are electron capture sensitive. The aldehydes and ketones were trapped in impinger sampling flasks containing the reagent solution. The excess of reagent was removed before injection onto the glass capillary column. A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic system for separation of fluorigenic dansylhydrazones is presented. With this system a complete separation of 17 carbonyl compounds was achieved. The reaction conditions for the dansylhydrazine reagent was studied and compared to the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine reagent. The gas chromatographic method was also compared to the different liquid chromatographic methods applied on some atmospheric and auto exhaust samples. The methods are selective and sensitive thus a small sample volume of air is sufficient for quantitative determinations.