Analytical challenges in air quality measurments

Abstract:
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, where pressure on these areas leads to significant deterioration in air quality. In France, air quality problems cause 40,000 additional deaths annually. This pollution is diverse: ozone, CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs),… and spreads both in the urban ambient air and in enclosed indoor spaces. To reduce this pollution, numerous methods have been implemented, either by reducing it at the source or by treating it as a secondary measure.
Analytical chemistry is therefore involved in many aspects of these requirements, particularly in monitoring pollution, evaluating solutions, and identifying emerging species. Numerous pollution control systems have been proposed to improve air quality (photocatalysis, plasma, catalysis, etc.).
To study these solutions in real time, we have developed a real-time mass spectrometer based on chemical ionization, which measures the quantities of converted VOCs and by-products. Combined with direct introduction methods developed in the laboratory, we have been able to study the formation of pollutants on vehicle engine catalysts. Today, new challenges exist to improve the quality of the air we breathe, particularly with regard to the finest particles.

Language: French