Application of a needle trap device packed with XAD-2 polyaniline composite for sampling naphthalene and phenanthrene in air.

The purpose of this study was to develop a new method for the sampling and analysis of naphthalene (Nap) and phenanthrene (Phe) in air. XAD-2 sorbent was prepared with polyaniline (PANI) to increase its adsorption area. Thus, 22-gauge needles were packed with XAD-2/PANI sorbent for the extraction of Nap and Phe, and sampling of the analytes of interest. The compounds were dynamically sampled from the headspace of the flask in laboratory and then analyzed using a gas chromatography (GC) device equipped with flame ionization detector (FID). The needle trap device (NTD) with the proposed sorbent was more sensitive and accurate than the NIOSH 5515 method. The results showed that the optimal temperature and time for the desorption of the analytes were 350 °C and 8 min, respectively. The analytical parameters such as carryover effect, breakthrough volume, and storage time were examined. The repeatability of the method was determined to be 9.4-13.5% for Nap and 7.1-15.7% for Phe. The limits of detection (LOD) for the analytes were in the range 0.002 - 0.09 ng L, and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) were in the range 0.01- 0.23 ng L. It was also found that the NTD packed with XAD-2/PANI sorbent was a sensitive and cost-effective method, and offered a high accuracy for the sampling and analysis of PAHs in air.