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Table 1 Mean concentrations of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene at theoretical target concentrations of 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x (x = 1.12 ± 0.01 ppm) by sampling/analytical method

From: Laboratory evaluation of a prototype portable gas chromatograph (GC) with a flame ionization detector (FID) for toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (TEX) analysis

Analyte

Target Concentration

ProtoGC—Column 1

ProtoGC—Column 2

Conventional method

Ratio (x)

ppm

Mean ± SD

95% CI

Mean ± SD

95% CI

Mean ± SD

95% CI

Toluene

1

1.12

1.05 ± 0.03

1.03–1.07

1.05 ± 0.03

1.03–1.07

1.05 ± 0.02

1.03–1.07

2

2.24

2.19 ± 0.04

2.17–2.21

2.20 ± 0.04

2.17–2.22

2.06 ± 0.04

2.02–2.10

4

4.49

4.57 ± 0.14

4.49–4.65

4.62 ± 0.14

4.54–4.69

4.20 ± 0.17

4.02–4.38

8

8.97

8.79 ± 0.16

8.70–8.88

8.55 ± 0.13

8.47–8.62

8.84 ± 0.51

8.30–9.38

Ethylbenzene

1

1.12

0.99 ± 0.04

0.97–1.01

0.99 ± 0.04

0.97–1.01

1.06 ± 0.03

1.04–1.09

2

2.24

2.05 ± 0.08

2.00–2.09

2.05 ± 0.08

2.00–2.09

2.16 ± 0.04

2.11–2.20

4

4.49

4.24 ± 0.20

4.13–4.35

4.27 ± 0.20

4.16–4.38

4.45 ± 0.10

4.35–4.55

8

8.97

7.85 ± 0.12

7.79–7.92

7.34 ± 0.12

7.27–7.40

9.21 ± 0.11

9.09–9.32

o-xylene

1

1.12

1.00 ± 0.03

0.99–1.02

0.97 ± 0.06

0.94–1.00

1.05 ± 0.02

1.03–1.07

2

2.25

2.15 ± 0.09

2.10–2.20

2.04 ± 0.08

1.99–2.09

2.15 ± 0.06

2.08–2.21

4

4.50

4.13 ± 0.14

4.05–4.21

3.93 ± 0.14

3.85–4.01

4.15 ± 0.09

4.06–4.24

8

8.98

7.96 ± 0.18

7.86–8.06

7.32 ± 0.15

7.24–7.40

8.57 ± 0.14

8.43–8.72

m-xylene

1

1.12

1.00 ± 0.02

0.98–1.01

1.01 ± 0.02

0.99–1.02

1.21 ± 0.02

1.19–1.23

2

2.23

2.10 ± 0.16

2.01–2.19

2.19 ± 0.12

2.12–2.25

2.55 ± 0.10

2.45–2.65

4

4.49

4.39 ± 0.16

4.31–4.48

4.43 ± 0.12

4.36–4.50

5.10 ± 0.04

5.06–5.14

8

8.97

7.37 ± 0.10

7.32–7.42

6.95 ± 0.08

6.91–6.99

9.89 ± 0.14

9.74–10.04

p-xylene

1

1.12

0.93 ± 0.02

0.92–0.94

0.95 ± 0.02

0.94–0.96

1.13 ± 0.01

1.12–1.15

2

2.24

1.9 ± 0.03

1.90–1.93

1.96 ± 0.04

1.94–1.98

2.21 ± 0.06

2.14–2.28

4

4.49

3.95 ± 0.07

3.91–3.99

4.07 ± 0.06

4.04–4.11

4.53 ± 0.08

4.44–4.61

8

8.97

7.21 ± 0.15

7.12–7.29

6.82 ± 0.15

6.74–6.91

9.43 ± 0.30

9.11–9.75

  1. SD standard deviation, CI confidence interval