ETHYLENE OXIDE by Portable GC
C2H4O
MW: 44.05
METHOD: 3702, Issue 2
CAS: 75-21-8
EVALUATION: FULL
OSHA : 1 ppm NIOSH: 0.1 ppm; C 5 ppm/10 min; carcinogen; Group I Pesticide ACGIH: 1 ppm; suspect carcinogen 1 ppm = 1.801 mg/m 3 @ NTP
PROPERTIES:
3702
RTECS: KX2450000
Issue 1: 15 August 1987 Issue 2: 15 August 1994
gas; d (liq.) 0.8694 g/mL @ 20 °C; BP 10.7 °C; MP -111 °C; explosive limits 3 to 100% (v/v) in air
SYNONYMS: 1,2-epoxyethane; oxirane
SAMPLING SAMPLER:
AMBIENT AIR OR BAG SAMPLE
FLOW RATE:
≥ 0.02 L/min; spot samples possible (See
MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE:
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (PORTABLE), PHOTOIONIZATION DETECTOR
ANALYTE:
ethylene oxide
COLUMN:
1.2 m x 3 mm OD PTFE, packed with Carbopak BHT 40/100 mesh
CARRIER GAS:
ultrapure air, 15 mL/min
CALIBRATION:
bag standards or calibrated gas mixtures
RANGE:
0.001 to 1000 ppm
Step 1) SHIPMENT:
SAMPLE STABILITY: FIELD BLANKS:
calibration and carrier gas shipment must comply with hazardous materials shipment regulations
bag samples stable 24 h @ 25 °C [1] clean air, either in bag or from non-work area
ESTIMATED LOD: 2.5 pg per injection @ .001 ppm (1-mL injection) ACCURACY RANGE STUDIED:
0.1 to 700 ppm [1]
BIAS:
not significant
PRECISION (Sr):
<0.07 @ 0.05 to 0.2 ppm [1]
ˆ ): <0.09 [1] OVERALL PRECISION (S rT ACCURACY:
± 17%
APPLICABILITY: The working range is 0.001 to 1000 ppm in relatively non-complex atmospheres (e.g., sterilization facilities).
INTERFERENCES: Freon 12, carbon dioxide, and alcohols do not interfere. Other compounds with similar retention times under the same chromatographic conditions are potential interferences.
OTHER METHODS: This method complements Method 1614 [2] which utilizes solid sorbent collection, derivatization, and gas chromatographic measurement for ethylene oxide.
NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), Fourth Edition, 8/15/94
