Evaluation of Online Measurement Techniques for Volatile Organic Compounds

Development of an innovative measurement method for carbonyls in air

Air

Office of Research and Development - Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM)

Research Triangle Park, NC

6-12 months

This opportunity is located in US EPA Office of Research and Development in Research Triangle Park, NC and involves the testing of advanced measurement technologies for volatile organic compounds in air.

This research project will focus on evaluating online measurement technologies for air toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air, which are an important class of hazardous air pollutants. Accurate VOC measurements in air are a critical need for the US EPA, which are used to improve air quality modeling and risk assessments.  However, the current methods for measurement of VOCs have substantial limitations. This research opportunity involves the evaluation of portable online automated gas chromatographs to determine their capability to accurately measure VOCs from source emissions and under ambient conditions. The feasibility of these cutting-edge instruments will be assessed and compared with standard offline EPA methods, and will be tested out in the lab, in the field and during EPA emissions studies.

The student will gain experience with air pollution sampling methods, analytical method development and with operation of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. The student will have numerous opportunities to network with EPA researchers and to participate in collaborative EPA research projects. The student will have opportunities to present their research in scientific conferences and will gain experience with producing peer-reviewed publications.

 george.ingrid@epa.gov