We measure ETO (ethylene oxide) using the tried-and-true SKC 575-005 sampler, analyzing with a modified OSHA 1010 protocol using SIM-MS (single ion monitoring) for highly specific detection. Our innovation is to confirm the activity of the sampler after sampling by spiking with unnatural, isotopically labeled ETO. This method captures ETO by chemical reaction with hydrobromic acid (HBr), and this HBr must remain in high concentration during the entire sampling period to produce reliable ETO measurements. This HBr can be neutralized by ammonia, which is commonly found in air, coming from farming operations, industrial refrigeration, glassware washing, etc. Keep in mind that ammonia can also interfere with tank methods based on EPA TO-15. Ammonia will react with ETO in a container, yielding a mixture of aminoethanols at a rate that’s dependent on the humidity. Both the uncontrolled OSHA 1010 method and EPA TO-15 will yield low results, making it possible to miss uncontrolled ETO. Our method eliminates this source of error and adds SIM-MS detection for additional specificity.
The price includes the vapor sampler, return shipping, analysis, and final report.
| Chemical Detected | CAS number | Catalogue Number | Single Chemical or Multiplex | SKC Diffusive Sampler | SKC Tube Sampler | Reference Method | Reporting Limit (MRL) 8 h PPB | Reporting Limit (MRL) 15 min PPB |
| Ethylene Oxide | 75-21-8 | ETO | Single Chemical | 575-005 | 226-178 | OSHA 1010 | 3.4 | 110 |