ASTM International

Standard Test Method for Determination of Gaseous Organic Compounds by Direct Interface Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
 N D6420

Annotation

This test method employs a direct interface gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GCMS) to identify and quantify the 36 volatile organic compounds (or sub-set of these compounds) listed as follows. The individual Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers are listed after each compound.

The test method incorporates a performance-based approach, which validates each GCMS analysis by placing boundaries on the instrument response to gaseous internal standards and their specific mass spectral relative abundance. Using this approach, the test method may be extended to analyze other compounds.

The test method provides on-site analysis of extracted, unconditioned, and unsaturated (at the instrument) gas samples from stationary sources. Gas streams with high moisture content may require conditioning to prevent moisture condensation within the instrument. For these samples, quality assurance (QA) requirements are provided in the test method to validate the analysis of polar, water-soluble compounds.

The instrument range should be sufficient to measure the listed volatile organic compounds from 150 ppb(v) to 100 ppm(v), using a full scan operation (between 45 and 300 atomic mass units). The range may be extended to higher or lower concentrations using either of the following procedures:

The initial three-point calibration concentrations and the continuing calibration checks are adjusted to match the stack concentrations, or

The three-point calibration is extended to include additional concentrations to cover the measurement range.

The minimum quantification level is 50 % of the lowest calibration concentration. Responses below this level are considered to be estimated concentrations, unless a calibration standard check is conducted at a lower concentration to demonstrate linearity. The sensitivity of the GCMS measurement system for the individual target analytes depends upon: