DETERMINATION OF PHENOL, CRESOLS AND XYLENOLS IN WORKPLACE AIR USING XAD-2 SORBENT CARTRIDGES

A method for sampling and analysis of phenolic compounds in workplace atmospheres using Amberlite XAD-2 sorbent tubes has been laboratory and field tested. After extraction of the adsorbed phenols with methylene chloride, the concentrated extract was analyzed by capillary column gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector or a mass spectrometer. For a 3L air sample, the method has a detection limit for phenol, cresols, alkyl-substituted phenols and xylenols of 0.3 mg/m3 using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/F1D) analysis and 0.07 mg/m3 using gas chromatography mass spectroscopy/selected ion monitoring GC-MS/SIM. Evaluation tests conducted in the laboratory indicated recoveries >85% for a wide range of phenols, cresols, xylenols and other alkyl-substituted phenols and resorcinol. Sampling conditions were established to ensure that no break-through occurred for a predetermined sample volume of three (3) liters even in humid atmospheres. Stability tests indicated that for storage of up to 2 weeks at 4°C, only resorcinol showed a significant reduction in sample recovery. The proposed method and NIOSH Method 3502 were compared for the determination of phenol concentrations in air samples collected at a plant processing phenolic resins. Phenol was positively identified in the XAD sample using GC-MS/SIM and was detected at concentrations of 40-50% of the total phenols detected using NIOSH Method 3502. This difference is attributed to the airborne particulate matter which is known to contain bisphenols that will contribute to the total phenolic content sampled in Method 3502, but not on the XAD sample. © 1992, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.