Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy for Monitoring Airborne Gases and Vapors of Industrial Hygiene Concern

There are few available analytical methods with which an industrial hygienist can perform near real-time identification and quantitation of gases and vapors in the workplace. At present, the instruments that come the closest to fulfilling this need are based on either Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy or mass spectroscopy (MS). In order to investigate the applicability of FTIR to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of gas and vapor emissions in the workplace, an investigation was carried out to choose optimal conditions that could maximize the signal from individual target analytes and minimize the potential for interference. In all cases, the limit of detection (LOD) of individual air contaminants was below the threshold limit value (TLV®).