TITLE
Evaluation of Gas Chromatography Detection Systems for Total
Gaseous Nonmethane Organic Compounds

AUTHOR(S)
Stephanie B. Philipp, Dave-Paul Dayton, Raymond G. Merrill, Radian,
Merrill D. Jackson, U.S.EPA

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
Radian Corporation
P.O. Box 13000
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709

SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
Methods Research and Development Division
Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC  27711

ABSTRACT
Better characterization and control of emissions from stationary
sources of compounds under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,
Title III could be met by a continuous or semi-continuous
measurement of total gaseous nonmethane organic carbon (TGNMOC). 
A search was initiated to identify detection systems for TGNMOC
that are both simple to use and accurate.  The measurement of
oxygenated organic compounds was of particular interest since they
are in many emission sources.  Several detector systems, marketed
as appropriate for TGNMOC measurement, were identified and
evaluated in the laboratory.  The primary performance goal for the
detection systems required that those systems yield equal response
for all organic compounds in a mixture, including oxygenated
compounds, based on total amount of carbon present in the organic
mixture.  None of the detection systems evaluated would uniformly
measure organic carbon in all types of organic mixtures.  While
some success was realized for many classes of organic compounds,
oxygenated compounds could not be measured in a mixture of other
organic compounds.