Application of megabore capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in the analysis of samples generated by the volatile organic sampling train

A method of analyzing volatile organic sampling train (VOST) samples by megabore capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry has been developed to enhance compound resolution and to improve the characterization of products of incomplete combustion in stack emissions. Several analytical systems were evaluated. The combination of components which gave the best overall performance consisted of a clamshell oven used to desorb the Tenax® and/or Tenax®/charcoal VOST cartridges onto an analytical trap in a commercial purge and trap unit. The purge and trap unit thermally desorbed the contents of the analytical trap onto a megabore capillary column installed in a gas chromatograph where the VOST target compounds were characterized and quantified by a computerized mass spectrometer. All VOST target compounds showed response factors with coefficients of variation of less than 25% for triplicate analyses at four concentrations. The time of analysis using the capillary column was 30% faster than the present VOST protocol that requires packed‐column gas chromatography.