State-of-the-art DAAMS tube desorption

Some military and civil defence applications are best served by sorbent (DAAMS) tube sampling and off-line thermal desorption (TD) analysis using UNITY, ULTRA 50:50 or AutoSecure with laboratory GCMS. The high-efficiency, electrically-cooled trap in UNITY delivers optimum capillary-compatible peaks offering sensitivities in the order of low picogrammes for target analytes. This means that detection limits below 0.0001 µg/m³ can be comfortably achieved with high volume (100-1000 L) tube-based sampling and enables compliance with the most stringent detection limits – for example; the current general population limit (GPL) for VX which is 0.003 µg/m³. 

45 pg of free-VX analysed without system passivation

Markes range of thermal desorption systems are available in manual to fully automated (up to 100 tubes) configurations. Systems offer an inert, short and uniformly-heated flow path for compatibility with the most challenging analytes - e.g. free-VX. They also feature stringent leak testing and a unique ‘SecureTD-Q’ facility. SecureTD-Q provides quantitative re-collection for repeat analysis thus allowing simple validation of the recovery of high boiling & reactive compounds. Both the leak test and SecureTD-Q are standard on all Markes tube-based TD systems and help ensure reliable data is produced.

Markes systems feature electronic pneumatic control and advanced data-processing - incorporating the latest mass spectral deconvolution alogrithms. This ensures fast, accurate analysis, minimising false negatives and positives, and automatically generating a single, easily interpreted report. 

Key applications for Markes TD systems with sorbent (DAAMS) tube sampling include:  

• Personal exposure monitoring (time weighted average)  
• Measurement of free-VX at trace levels 
• Fenceline monitoring of environmental concentrations with large volume air sampling for ultimate detection limits 
• Long term monitoring of decontaminated zones post-remediation 
• Confirmation of NRT analysis
  

For part numbers and pricing please contact your local Markes distributor or visit our on-line shop

Relevant technical support publications from Markes International can be automatically downloaded from this web site (registration required). Examples include:

• Brochure - UNITY, ULTRA, Air Server - Thermal Desorption Systems
• Brochure - Monitoring Chemical Agents
• TDTS 39 - Analysis of semi-volatile phosphorus pesticides using Mi thermal desorption systems - demonstration of method validation using SecureTD-Q
• TDTS 44 - The analysis of free-VX from sorbent tubes at low and sub-nanogram levels using a standard, non-passivated ULTRA-UNITY automated thermal desorber
  

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