Evaluation of a portable Fourier transform infrared gas analyzer for measurements of air toxics in pollution prevention research

A portable Fourier transform infrared gas analyzer with a photoacoustic detector performed reliably during pollution prevention research at two industrial facilities. It exhibited good agreement (within approximately 6%) with other analytical instruments (dispersive infrared and flame ionization) when analyte concentrations were high and relatively steady. It did not show good agreement when analyte concentrations were low (approximately 10 parts per million [ppm]) or were varying rapidly (less than 1.5 min). The precision for total acetates measurements was estimated to be approximately 40 ppm for measurements in the 0- to 700-ppm region. The precision for styrene measurements was estimated to be approximately 10 ppm for measurements in the 0- to 90-ppm region.