Development of a Calibration System for Hydrocarbons Emitted from Biomass Burning

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are emitted from forests, fossil fuel processes, household products, and biomass burning; these compounds can have serious impacts on both human health and global climate. VOCs are currently studied using gas chromatography or mass spectrometry; however, these methods require careful calibrations to eliminate error caused by both instrument transmission and the varying chemistry of each compound. In order to better provide a calibration system for the Proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) within the Boulder NOAA laboratory, this project altered the Mobile Oxidative Carbon Calibration System (MOCCScart), which provides a calibration standard for VOCs. The MOCCScart was rebuilt, and utilized a new type of permeation tube in order to provide a better response time and more accurate calibration of the PTR-MS. Within this system, samples were tested of ethanol, benzene, and several other VOCs, demonstrating a faster and more accurate calibration. In the future, many more VOCs should be tested using this method, which will improve calibrations of PTR-MS within the laboratory and the field.