The stability of Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes in simulated field conditions on the HAPSITE super( registered ) ER

• Published in: International journal of environmental analytical chemistry 2015-09, Vol.95 (11), p.1014-1029
• Main Authors: Harshman, Sean W, Dershem, Victoria L, Fan, Maomian, Watts, Brandy S, Slusher, Grant M, Flory, Laura E, Grigsby, Claude C, Ott, Darrin K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0306-7319; 1029-0397
• DOI: 10.1080/03067319.2015.1077520

Due to the growing need to monitor aircraft cabin, cockpit and breathing-line air quality, functional assessment of sampling equipment for the specialised field conditions of flight need to be established for both in-flight and ground safety. In this article, we assess the reliability of Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes to perform under various relevant field sampling conditions, such as storage temperature, loading temperature, vibrational velocity, gravitational force (G Force) and altitude pressure with semi-real-time gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) analysis on the field portable HAPSITE super( registered ) ER (Hazardous Air Pollutants on Site Extended Range) instrument. First, we show that Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes can handle storage under extreme environmental conditions, 4-77 degree C, over numerous analytical test cycles. Next, we confirm that extreme loading temperature, both hot (77 degree C) and cold (4 degree C), does not affect the analytical reliability of Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes. Then, we illustrate that G Force may have a significant (p less than or equal to 0.0364) effect on Tenax TA performance while vibrational velocity (p less than or equal to 0.7265) and low ambient air pressure (p less than or equal to 0.1753), such as that found at high altitude, do not. Finally, several Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes were flight-tested, demonstrating that the durability of these tubes maybe insufficient for use on military cargo aircraft (p = 0.0107). The results presented here provide a rationale for additional testing of Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes for flight suitability.