No.6（2003）17.Ion chromatographic determination of formaldehyde and organic acids in environmental samples

Makoto NONOMURA, Michiko GOTO and Hiroko TANABE

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of other chemical substances that induces sick house or sick school syndrome. It is therefore important to determine existence of HCHO in wood materials and indoor air. In addition, HCHO is generated from combustion plants and automobiles and low concentration of HCHO have been detected in the atmosphere. This paper describes how to determine the existence of organic acid and HCHO in water and gas with ion chromatography. HCHO in water was oxidized to formate ion under the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (0.3%) and potassium hydroxide solution (10 mmol/L), and was left to stand for 30 min. at room temperature. The solution was determined by the suppressed ion chromatography equipped with a conductivity detector, IonPac AG17/AS17 column and KOH eluent which was prepared by an EG 40 eluent generator. The proposed method was applied to a fixed solution of HCHO discharged from wood and wall materials in a desiccator, indoor air as well as exhaust gas from a painting factory.

Keywords
Formaldehyde, Organic acid, Wood materials, Indoor air, Exhaust gas, Ion chromatography

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