Isoprene from expired air inside a private car

• The concentration of isoprene inside a small-sized parked private car with one person was found to be of the order of 20 g/m3. Isoprene was then the major non-methane volatile hydrocarbon except in strongly traffic-polluted parking places. On driving, with intermediate fan ventilation, the isoprene levels were one order of magnitude lower. In the empty car, the concentrations were still much lower, proving that isoprene originates predominantly from expired air. Air samples were taken on triple-layer adsorbent cartridges and were analysed for volatile hydrocarbons by gas chromatography after thermal desorption. The analytical aluminium oxide column permitted simultaneous determination of a range of reported traffic-emitted hydrocarbons including the carcinogenic 1,3-butadiene and benzene.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Analytisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Analytical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinsk bioteknologi -- Medicinsk bioteknologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Medical Biotechnology -- Medical Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

automobiles

isopene

adsorbent sampling

human breath

gas chromatography

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)