Investigation of the storage stability of selected volatile sulfur compounds in different sampling containers

The suitability of various sample containers (i.e. standard Tedlar sample bags, black/clear layered Tedlar sample bags and Silcosteel sample cylinders) was examined for a gaseous multicomponent standard containing methylmercaptan, ethylmercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, ethylmethyl sulfide, 2-propylmercaptan, 1-propylmercaptan, 2-butylmercaptan, diethyl sulfide and 1-butylmercaptan (1 mg/m3 each in nitrogen). In the black/clear layered Tedlar sample bags, significant losses (up to 10% for methylmercaptan as the most critical component) were observed after 2 days, whereas in the standard Tedlar sample bags the recovery of methylmercaptan was approximately 90% even after 1 week. The Silcosteel sample cylinders were suitable for sampling of volatile sulfur compounds with respect to the stability of the analytes, but the recoveries exceeded 100% especially for the higher boiling compounds, which was attributed to enrichment effects on parts of the sampling system.