Performance Assessment of Needle Trap Micro-sampler with Silica-based Carbon Nanotube Composite for Health Monitoring of Perchloroethylene in Laboratory and Field

Needle trap micro-sampler, with all advantages of microextraction techniques such as solid phase microextraction, owing to the ease of use and becoming a powerful method for air pollution monitoring. In this study, the performance of needle trap micro-sampler device with silica composite of carbon nanotubes, prepared using sol-gel technique, was investigated for health monitoring of perchloroethylene in air.
After preparation of proposed sorbent, 1.5 cm length of a 21-gauge needle (10 cm length and 0.52 mm I.D.) packed and the experimental parameters adjusted and the performance of micro-extraction sampler assessed in the sampling, storage and desorption stages for micro-sampling and determination of perchloroethylene. Finally the sampler was used for air monitoring of perchloroethylene in the dry cleaning and compared with NIOSH relevant method.
The results demonstrated that breakthrough volumes were more than 1300 and 1100 ml for needle trap packed with CNTs/silica composite and CAR/PDMS, respectively. Increasing the sampling temperature and relative humidity reduced the sampling efficiency and the needle trap devices with both sorbents showed less than 4% for analyte losses after seven days. In the field sampling, needle trap with nano-structured sorbent showed better response comparing to the NIOSH 1003 method.
Needle trap device packed with silica composite of carbon nanotubes showed good performance for sampling of perchloroethylene in air and recommended for health monitoring of occupational and environmental pollutant.