An Efficient Low Cost Prototype Air Sampler for Monitoring of Airborne Benzene and Toluene

Abstract

Air concentrations of benzene and toluene were monitored by home-made prototype air sampler for indoor and outdoor environments. The monitored areas consisted of chemistry and biological laboratory rooms at Nakhonsawan Rajabhat University, the traffic hot spot and university gate in winter season of January, 2017. For indoor source, the mean concentrations of benzene and toluene ranged from 0.05-28 mgm^-2h^-1 and 1.01-17 mgm^-2h^-1, respectively, while the concentrations of those compounds were higher at the traffic hot spot where the exhaust emission of vehicles was stringently regulated on a roadside (benzene 6.64-48.43 mgm^-2h^-1). For indoor source, chemicals and air pollution caused by other compounds from household cleaning products or painting supplies did not have major effects on the uptake rate. In the other hand, transportation was the main cause of benzene for outdoor experiment, however, toluene was not detected since it was able to enter the soil and water near waste disposal sites. Also, it is possible for toluene to be broken down in subsurface water, primarily by anaerobic microorganisms. Analysis was evaluated using gas chromatography coupled flame ionization detection (GC-FID). In conclusion, the results confirmed the home-made air sampler have considerable potential utility for the short and long term indicative measurement of benzene and toluene with its simplicity of usage for both indoor and outdoor environments.