PHOTOVAC MONITORING INSTRUMENTS

(formerly PHOTOVAC INTERNATIONAL, INC.)
(PE Photovac Voyager Portable Gas Chromatograph)

TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION:

The PE Photovac Voyager Portable Gas Chromatograph (GC) is a lightweight, battery powered, isothermal GC (see figure below). The Voyager GC is designed to replace the Photovac 10S Plus GC and incorporates the following design changes:

• A miniature analytical engine is comprised of a precolumn/backflush three-column set, with a dedicated column for "light," "middle," and "heavy" compounds; isothermal oven with an operating temperature up to 80 C; a miniature all-steel valve array; and a syringe/valve injection port. The whole engine is maintained at the set isothermal temperature.
• The 10.6-electron-volt (eV) photoionization detector (PID) matches the sensitivity of the 10S Plus GC for benzene, toluene, xylenes, and chlorinated ethylenes.
• The Voyager GC includes a variety of detectors, such as an electron-capture detector (ECD), to provide high sensitivity for the chlorinated alkanes.
• A total volatile organic compound (VOC) function (using the PID only) is intended primarily as a fast screening tool for pre-GC analysis; the VOC function supports either syringe or automatic (using the internal pump) injections.
• Factory-programmed assay for up to 40 VOCs listed in EPA Method 624.
• A "simplified" operating mode designed to detect a subset of VOCs selected from the preprogrammed assay.
• An "advanced" operating mode allows extensive method customization, such as adding compounds to the preprogrammed assay.
• Total weight with PID is 15 pounds.

WASTE APPLICABILITY:

The Voyager GC can monitor VOC emissions from hazardous waste sites and other emission sources before, during, and after remediation. It is more flexible in analytical functionality and has an extended scope of compound separation compared to the 10S Plus GC for monitoring VOC at ambient background levels.

STATUS:

The Photovac 10S PLUS GC was evaluated in January 1992 at a Superfund site under remediation. Results from this demonstration are presented in a peer-reviewed article entitled "Evaluation of Portable Gas Chromatographs" in the Proceedings of the 1993 U.S. EPA/Air and Waste Management Association International Symposium, VIP-33, Volume 2, 1993.

The Voyager GC was evaluated during a field study in August 1995. During the study, downwind vapors from an artificial source generator were analyzed. Preliminary results of the demonstration were presented in an article titled "Performance Comparison of Field-Deployable Gas Chromatographs with Canister TO-14 Analyses" in the Proceeding of the 1996 U.S. EPA/Air and Waste Management Association International Symposium, VIP-64, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

EPA PROJECT MANAGER:
Richard Berkley
U.S. EPA
National Exposure Research Laboratory
MD-44
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
919-541-2439
Fax: 919-541-3527

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPER CONTACT:
Mark Collins
Photovac Monitoring Instruments
25-B Jefryn Boulevard West
Deer Park, NY 11729
516-254-4199
Fax: 516-254-4284