ENVIRONMENTAL AIR LEVELS OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS BY THERMAL DESORPTION-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY IN AN INDUSTRIAL REGION

Abstract

Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) are the group of VOCs widely used as representative of VOC pollution. In this study BTEX measurements were made in Dilovasi at two selected points. One was at the center of the town (DLV) and the other was GYTE campus which can be considered as a background area. Dilovasi is a coastal town in the Marmara region known for its deteriorated environmental conditions. Cancer is the primary death cause for Dilovasi residents with a ratio three times higher than Turkey's general average. Active and passive tube sampling methods were used to collect the air samples and BTEX levels were determined by thermal desorption GC-FID analytical system. In the preparatory step long term passive sampling results for 2, 3, and 4 weeks sampling times were compared and 2-week sampling was chosen due to observed lowest back diffusion. BTEX concentration ratios were calculated as (5.4; 9.1;1.03.1) at DLV and (6.1;7.5;1.0;2.2) at GYTE using passive sampling results. Active samples taken in the morning at DLV showed significant correlation among BTEX compounds suggesting the effect of traffic related VOC pollution at the site while GYTE is not under direct effect of VOC sources but having polluted aged air masses. BTEX levels from active tube sampling exhibit up to 5 times of the concentration values obtained from passive sampling