Needle trap device with Sol-Gel modified hydroxyl fullerene for determination of BTEX in air

This study, for the first time, utilized silanated nanostructured hydroxyl fullerene, synthesized via the sol-gel technique, as a novel adsorbent in needle trap microextraction for sampling and analysis of BTEX in air. FourierTransform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectroscopy were applied to evaluate the structure and surface of nano-adsorbent. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Box-Behnken and central composite design was employed to optimize variables influencing NTD performance, including sampling and desorption parameters. The optimal sampling conditions were determined to be 20 min for sampling time, 50 % relative humidity, and a temperature of 20 degrees C. The ideal temperature and time for analyte desorption were 275 degrees C and 3 min, respectively. For targeted analytes, the limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.05 to 0.11 mu g/L and 0.13 to 0.41 mu g/L, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for method repeatability was between 5.5 % and 8.1 %. The proposed technique was employed for BTEX analysis in the printing unit of a porcelain company. In comparison with other standard methods such as NIOSH 1501 and EPA 14-A, it not only offers higher measurement precision, but also eliminate the need for expensive and complex equipment and toxic solvents. The results indicate that a NTD filled with a hydroxyl fullerene-silica composite, coupled with GC-FID, offers an appropriate and reliable procedure for BTEX analysis in environmental air monitoring and occupational exposure.