PH04 Advances in Analysis and Measurements
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Thursday
(PH018) Sample preparation and data quality considerations for the analysis of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) exposed to air.
Cranor, W1, Alvarez, D1, Huckins, J1, Gale, R1, Clark, R1, Petty, J1, Robertson, G2, 1 USGS-CERC, Columbia, MO, USA2 US EPA NERL, Las Vegas, NV, USA
ABSTRACT- Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) have been used to detect a variety of contaminants in air. Scientists at the USGS's Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) are conducting joint research with EPA scientists to advance analytical methods for using SPMDs to monitor and assess indoor air quality. While a significant body of data exists in the peer-reviewed literature regarding the use of SPMDs for sequestering environmental organic contaminants in aquatic systems, there is far less data regarding data quality during processing and analysis of SPMDs used as air samplers. One of the requirements for SPMD data to be accepted as an analytical technique by the scientific and regulatory community is to establish the quality of the data generated by SPMDs. This includes both the capabilities and limitations of the technique and the QA required for showing that the analysis has been performed within the limits of the data quality objective. Data are presented which will serve as foundation for establishing "Control Limits" associated with SPMD processing and analyses. Techniques for cleanup of SPMD extracts for analyses and full-scan mass spectrometry screening do not differ greatly from techniques applied to other environmental matrices. However, potential pitfalls, specific to the membrane-lipid matrix, exist. Additionally, we describe procedural steps for analyzing exposed SPMDs for contaminants sequestered from air which are applicable to SPMDs exposed to other environmental matrices. Finally, we provide discussions on the helpful nature of QA and Control Limits for the avoidance of pitfalls specific to the membrane-lipid matrices.
Key words: data quality, spmds, control limits, air sampling