A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SAMPLING AND DETERMINING THE PRESENCE OF CONTAMINANTS IN CONTAINERS

摘要

A method of sampling and determining the presence of certain residues of contaminants in containers comprising the steps of: injecting compressed air into said containers in order to displace at least a portion of the contents thereof; evacuating a sample of the container contents so displaced by applying suction thereto; and analyzing the sample evacuated to determine the presence or absence of the certain residues therein. The compressed air is injected through a nozzle into an opening in the containers to displace a portion of the container contents and form a sample cloud outside of the container. The sample cloud is then at least partially evacuated by suction and the sample is analyzed for the presence of contaminants such as nitrogen containing compounds or hydrocarbons. In one embodiment about 90 % of the sample evacuated is diverted from the analyzer and recirculated into the air injector. A wide range of potential contaminants are detectable if beverage bottles are stored uncapped, prior to testing to give beverage product volatiles sufficient time to dissipate.