Direct Measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds in Breathing-Zone Air, Drinking Water, Breath, Blood, and Urine

摘要

Physical, chemical, and biological measurements of environmental quality are necessary to determine not only the extent of environmental damage but also the effects of environmental protection programs. The Office of Monitoring Systems and Quality Assurance has the responsibility of developing new monitoring methods, evaluating and improving existing methods, carrying out field monitoring programs, and assuring the quality of the environmental data collected by the Agency. The present study was a pilot effort to evaluate new methods for measuring personal exposure to a number of toxic compounds in air, water, breath, and blood. The methods for collecting air and breath samples appear to be particularly effective, and are now being employed in large-scale studies.