SETT OCH APPARAT FOR ATT AVLEGSNA ORGANISKA FORENINGAR FRAN LUFT

摘要

Methods and apparatus for removing compounds from air to clean the air and for providing quantitative analysis of the content of particular organic compounds in the air. Apparatus is described having a separation zone packed with a magnesium silicate or calcium silicate material in the form of finely divided particles which are effective in trapping and holding substantially all of certain predetermined compounds present in air passed through the material. The silicate-packed separation zone may be employed as a highly efficient filter to purify air containing pollutants or contaminants. Also described are a method and apparatus for accurately determining the content of predetermined organic compounds in a sample of air using a collection tube containing a sorbent material such as dry, finely divided activated magnesium trisilicate. The method involves passing air through the sorbent material for a specified interval of time to trap the predetermined compounds, applying a solvent in the opposite direction to the flow of air to transfer all of selected compounds to a small quantity of solvent to form a solution, collecting the solution as it emerges from the material, and then analyzing the collected solution without concentrating it. One set of compounds of interest are highly carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds which may be present in air in minute quantities.