Monitoring of Fireplace Emissions in Indoor Air using Thermal Desorption GC-MS

Air pollution is often associated with billowing smokestacks from large industrial plants, which emit substantial quantities of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Sources of outdoor air pollution include transportation (cars, buses, trains, and planes), stationary sources (power plants, factories, and refineries), agriculture, and natural sources (wildfires, volcanoes, etc). The particles and chemicals emitted from these sources can be inhaled and lead to long-term health issues.

Air pollution can also refer to indoor air. Indoor air sources include cleaning products, air fresheners, candles, scent diffusers, off-gassing from building materials, smoking, wood- or pellet-burning stoves, and fireplaces.

This study examines emissions from a home fireplace using active air sampling with sorbent-filled thermal desorption tubes, with analysis by thermal desorption GC-MS.