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DEVELOPMENT OF A BREADBOARD CO2 LASER PHOTOACOUSTIC TOXIC VAPOR MONITOR
Citation:
Loper, G., R. Corbin, M. Takayama, R. Clifton, AND J. Gelbwachs. DEVELOPMENT OF A BREADBOARD CO2 LASER PHOTOACOUSTIC TOXIC VAPOR MONITOR. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-88/011.
Description:
The report describes the development of a breadboard version of a CO2 laser photoacoustic (LPA) detector. The CO2 LPA technique has been demonstrated to be capable of detecting, with high specificity, a variety of toxic compounds at low parts-per-billion (ppb) levels in multicomponent air samples. The technique can be used for monitoring trace levels of various hazardous compounds in ambient air samples. A key achievement during the program was determination of CO2 laser absorption cross-section data for seven compounds of EPA concern that are volatile constituents of hazardous chemical waste. The data shows that the LPA method can detect these compounds in ambient air at levels well below their most stringent threshold limit values.