Air Technology Laboratories, Inc. provides environmental analytical testing services, specializing in the analysis of air and soil vapor. Analytical laboratory testing services for these matrices includes routine, trace and ultra-trace level organics.
Project Capabilities
Sampling Equipment
Analytical Services
EPA TO14A/TO15 – Volatile Organics
EPA TO14 and EPA TO15 are the most commonly used methods for the analysis of volatile organics. EPA TO15 is recently promulgated and will eventually phase out the TO14 method. EPA TO15 provides more detailed QA/QC procedures and allows only for the use of GC/MS as the analytical instrument.
Samples are collected in evacuated stainless steel canisters (SUMMA or SilcoCanTM). Opening the canister valve and allowing the vacuum to rapidly come to equilibrium with the ambient pressure will result in an instantaneous or “grab” air sample, while attaching a flow controller and metering the sample into the canister for a predetermined interval (0.5 to 24 hours) will result in a composite sample.
ASTM D1946 & EPA 25c/3c – Fixed Gases and TNMOC
An evacuated stainless-steel canister is used to collect the sample. A sampling probe is punched into the landfill cap and a canister is attached to a sample line extending from the probe. The canister vacuum then draws in gases generated by the landfill through a flow controller. The canister is pressurized with helium in the laboratory prior to analysis.
For analysis the canister is attached to our custom analytical instrument and a sample loop is filled with sample. On injection the sample is swept into a GC. Using a series of valves and the method required Unibead/Carboseive G columns, methane and carbon dioxide are allowed to elute from the columns, after which the remaining sample is backflushed, oxidized and reduced to methane to be detected by the flame ionization detector as one chromatographic peak. Simultaneously, a second sample loop is injected and analyzed by the thermal conductivity detector for the quantification of nitrogen and oxygen.
EPA 15/16, ASTM D5504 – Volatile Sulfur Compounds
Due to the properties of the sulfur compounds, the analytical method requires special precautions and techniques to reduce those effects. A sample must be collected in a container that does not contain any stainless steel and is extremely inert — hydrogen sulfide quickly reacts with stainless steel and any active sites in the canister can cause the other sulfur containing compounds to adhere to them. Therefore, the sample must be collected in a Tedlar bag or a specially coated stainless steel canister (i.e. SilcoCanTM) that has had its inner walls lined with fused silica making it a very inert surface for organic sulfur compounds, and other organic compounds.
Air Technology provides the expertise and experience needed to accomplish the difficult task of analyzing sulfur compounds in both parts per million and parts per billion range. Following the procedures described in EPA Methods 15 and 16, the sample is introduced into a GC that is equipped with a flame photometric detector. The chromatography is performed on a capillary column or specially packed Teflon column to minimize interactions with the compounds of interest.
EPA T03 – Petroleum Hyrdrocarbons
In support of investigation or remediation activities at underground fuel tank sites, AirTECHNOLOGY provides the expertise to meet the strictest requirements, and the capacity to handle large or small sample loads for the analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, methyl tert-butyl ether, hexane and total volatile petroleum hydrocarbons.
Samples are usually collected in Tedlar bags by pumping soil vapors or ambient air into the bag. Due to the relatively short holding time associated with Tedlar bags (three days), the samples are rushed to the laboratory for analysis.
ASTM D1945 – Natural Gas
Air Technology has extensive experience in the analysis of natural gas or refinery gas. Samples are collected in stainless steel canisters, which are then analyzed by GC/FID/TCD. The analysis determines the concentration of several hydrocarbon species from which it can then calculate a BTU and specific gravity.
Siloxanes
Siloxanes are chemical compounds that can be found in products such as cosmetics, deodorants, water repellent windshield coatings, food additives and some soaps. They are often used to smooth or soften cosmetic products, or as a chemical building block for silicone-based rubbers and oils. A well-known siloxane application is without any doubt the so-called “siloxane sealer”. This is a water-based sprayable liquid, used to waterproof concrete or brick walls in general.
RSKSOP-175 – Dissolved Gases in Water
Natural attenuation, or intrinsic remediation, is increasingly becoming the remediation technique of choice. This technique allows for naturally occurring microbial activity to metabolize the contaminants of concern. The suitability of a site or progress of the remediation is evaluated partly on results of the analysis of groundwater samples for dissolved gases such as methane, ethane, or ethylene.
Air Technology provides this unique analytical procedure. The procedure requires that the sample be collected in an airtight container (typically a 40-mL VOA vial) preserved to pH 2 (unless carbon dioxide needs to be determined). The laboratory generates a headspace in the sample by replacing a portion of the water with helium. After thorough agitation and equilibration, an aliquot of the headspace is analyzed via GC/FID. Henry’s Law stipulates that, in a closed system in equilibrium, the concentration of a gas in the headspace can be used to determine the concentration of the gas dissolved in water.
Hydrocarbon Speciation
In many projects requiring the determination of hydrocarbon contamination, the carbon range distribution, or
speciation, of the contaminant is desired. For volatile analysis this involves being able to detect the range from ethane (C2) to dodecane (C12). Due to the broad boiling point range being covered, special considerations must be taken to ensure acceptable and consistent performance.
Ozone Precursors
Ozone is of primary concern to the USEPA in its latest promulgation to the Clean Air Act, especially ozone’s presence in metropolitan areas. The emission of hydrocarbons (ozone precursors) from vehicles and industrial sources is the leading cause of man-made production of ozone.
Air Technology Laboratories, Inc. has been delivering expert air testing services since 2004, offering specialized testing with exceptional data quality and customer service.
Location
18501 E Gale Ave, Suite 130
City of Industry, CA 91748
Tel: (626) 964-4032
City of Industry, CA 91748
Tel: (626) 964-4032