Determination of Ethylenediamine in Air Using Reagent-Coated Adsorbent Tubes and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography on the 1-Naphthylisothiourea Derivative

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Abstract
A method for the trace analysis of ethylenediamine in air is presented. Sampling is performed by forming a stable derivative of the amine on a reagent-coated sorbent sample tube using a low-flow, personal sampling pump. The reagent is 1-naphthylisothiocyanate, and the 1-naphthylisothiourea derivative formed is subsequently desorbed using tetrahydrofuran and directly injected into a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). Separation is accomplished on a reverse phase octadecylsilane column with ultraviolet (254 nm) detection and acetonitrile-water as the mobile phase. The method has been validated from three to 125 mg/m3 when a three-liter air sample is taken. Relative humidity has little effect on sample collection and analysis. Ethylenediamine is quantitatively rendered nonvolatile in the field, chemically stabilized and can be safely transported and stored prior to analysis.