Low molecular weight hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons and aromatics are three groups of volatile organic chemicals that are widely used in industry and constitute a potential danger for the environment. Selective tracing of these pollutants in ambient air was performed with the aid of gas chromatography and flame ionization or electron capture detection, whichever yielded highest sensitivity. Methods of analysis, calibration procedures and sampling techniques are discussed, covering automatic operation in the field as well as discontinuous control by analyses performed in the laboratory. The efficiency of the overall procedure is illustrated by the results obtained during two pollution measuring campaigns, one performed in the neighbourhood of a vinyl chloride plant and the other in an area with an intensive paint industry.
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