Online monitoring of VOCs from waste effluent by GC-FID and GC-TOF MS

Current spot checks are no longer satisfactory to avoid the potential for high-level contamination of rivers or estuaries from industrial waste. Governing environmental bodies can impose heavy fines on companies that routinely exceed the set limits, and even reserve the right to shut down the liable plant.

This produces a requirement for online monitoring of multiple outlet streams from the plant, before and after potential dilution points. Monitoring the river for contamination from other sources is also required to protect against false liability claims.

Here, we utilise a flow-through cell for online effluent sampling, with time-saving robotic tool change for sampling, standard addition and headspace analysis on a single, fully-automated platform. The use of GC-FID for analysis enables remote, continuous monitoring for rapid response to contamination events, while GC-TOF MS provides confirmatory analysis and identification of unknowns or compounds of emerging concern.