ASTM D6196-15e1
Standard practice for selection of absorbents and extraction sampling/thermal desorption analysis procedures for airborne volatile organic compounds

Standard No.

ASTM D6196-15e1

Release Date

2015

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM D6196-23

Latest

ASTM D6196-23

Scope

1.1 This practice is intended to assist in the selection of sorbents and procedures for the sampling and analysis of ambient (1),2 indoor (2), and workplace (3, 4) atmospheres for a variety of common volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It may also be used for measuring emissions from materials in small or full scale environmental chambers or for human exposure assessment. 1.2 This practice is based on the sorption of VOCs from air onto selected sorbents or combinations of sorbents. Sampled air is either drawn through a tube containing one or a series of sorbents (pumped sampling) or allowed to diffuse, under controlled conditions, onto the sorbent surface at the sampling end of the tube (diffusive or passive sampling). The sorbed VOCs are subsequently recovered by thermal desorption and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. 1.3 This practice applies to three basic types of samplers that are compatible with thermal desorption: (1) pumped sorbent tubes containing one or more sorbents; (2) axial passive (diffusive) samplers (typically of the same physical dimensions as standard pumped sorbent tubes and containing only one sorbent); and (3) radial passive (diffusive) samplers. 1.4 This practice recommends a number of sorbents that can be packed in sorbent tubes for use in the sampling of vapor-phase organic chemicals; including volatile and semivolatile organic compounds which, generally speaking, boil in the range 0 to 400°C (v.p. 15 to 0.01 kPa at 25°C). 1.5 This practice can be used for the measurement of airborne vapors of these organic compounds over a wide concentration range. 1.5.1 With pumped sampling, this practice can be used for the speciated measurement of airborne vapors of VOCs in a concentration range of approximately 0.1 µg/m3 to 1 g/m3 , for individual organic compounds in 1–10 L air samples. Quantitative measurements are possible when using validated procedures with appropriate quality control measures. 1.5.2 With axial diffusive sampling, this practice is valid for the speciated measurement of airborne vapors of volatile organic compounds in a concentration range of approximately 100 µg/m3 to 100 mg/m3 for individual organic compounds for an exposure time of 8 h or 1 µg/m3 to 1 mg/m3 for individual organic compounds for an exposure time of four weeks. 1.5.3 With radial diffusive sampling, this practice is valid for the measurement of airborne vapors of volatile organic compounds in a concentration range of approximately 5 µg/m3 to 5 mg/m3 for individual organic compounds for exposure times of one to six hours. 1.5.4 The upper limit of the useful range is almost always set by the linear dynamic range of the gas chromatograph column and detector, or by the sample splitting capability of the analytical instrumentation used. 1.5.5 The lower limit of the useful range depends on the noise level of the detector and on blank levels of analyte or interfering artifacts (or both) on the sorbent tubes. 1.6 This procedure can be used for personal and fixed location sampling. It cannot be used to measure instantaneous or short-term fluctuations in concentration. Alternative ‘grab sampling’ procedures using canister air samplers (for example, Test Method D5466) may be suitable for monitoring instantaneous or short term fluctuations in air concentration. Alternatives for on-site measurement include, but are not limited to, gas chromatography, real-time mass spectrometry detectors and infrared spectrometry. 1.7 The sampling method gives a time-weighted average result. 1.8 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1 This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D22 on Air Quality and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D22.05 on Indoor Air. Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2015. Published February 2016. Originally approved in 1997. Last previous edition approved in 2009 as D6196 – 03 (2009). DOI: 10.1520/D6196-15E01. 2 The bold face numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of this practice. Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee. 1 1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.10 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ASTM D6196-15e1 Referenced Document

• ASTM D1356 Standard Terminology Relating to Sampling and Analysis of Atmospheres*， 2024-04-21 Update
• ASTM D3670 Standard Guide for Determination of Precision and Bias of Methods of Committee D22
• ASTM D3686 Standard Practice for Sampling Atmospheres to Collect Organic Compound Vapors (Activated Charcoal Tube Adsorption Method)
• ASTM D5466 Standard Test Method for Determination of Volatile Organic Chemicals in Atmospheres (Canister Sampling Methodology)
• ASTM E355 Standard Practice for Gas Chromatography Terms and Relationships*， 2024-04-21 Update
• ISO 13137 Workplace atmospheres — Pumps for personal sampling of chemical and biological agents — Requirements and test methods
• ISO 16017-1 Indoor, ambiant and workplace air - Sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds by sorbent tube/thermal desorption/capillary gas chromatography - Part 1: Pumped sampling
• ISO 16017-2 Indoor, ambient and workplace air - Sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds by sorbent tube/thermal desorption/capillary gas chromatography - Part 2: Diffusive sampling
• ISO 16107 Workplace atmospheres - Protocol for evaluating the performance of diffusive samplers
• ISO 5725 Precision of test methods; Determination of repeatability and reproducibility for a standard test method by inter-laboratory tests

ASTM D6196-15e1 history

• 2023 ASTM D6196-23 Standard Practice for Choosing Sorbents, Sampling Parameters and Thermal Desorption Analytical Conditions for Monitoring Volatile Organic Chemicals in Air
• 2015 ASTM D6196-15e1 Standard practice for selection of absorbents and extraction sampling/thermal desorption analysis procedures for airborne volatile organic compounds
• 2015 ASTM D6196-15 Standard Practice for Choosing Sorbents, Sampling Parameters and Thermal Desorption Analytical Conditions for Monitoring Volatile Organic Chemicals in Air
• 2003 ASTM D6196-03(2009) Standard Practice for Selection of Sorbents, Sampling, and Thermal Desorption Analysis Procedures for Volatile Organic Compounds in Air
• 2003 ASTM D6196-03 Standard Practice for Selection of Sorbents, Sampling, and Thermal Desorption Analysis Procedures for Volatile Organic Compounds in Air
• 1997 ASTM D6196-97 Standard Practice for Selection of Sorbents and Pumped Sampling/Thermal Desorption Analysis Procedures for Volatile Organic Compunds in Air