Recently, a Chinese research team carried out a research on urban atmospheric VOCs navigation observation and emission source based on a self-developed volatile organic compound (VOCs) navigation monitoring mass spectrometer.

The work was accomplished by Optical and Mass Spectrometry team from Institute Health & Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science. 

The team proposed, for the first time, the innovative scheme of atmospheric VOCs mobile PTR-MS (M-PTR-MS) by integrating proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technology with the electronic map geographic information system.

The vehicle-mounted mass spectrometer achieved rapid inspection of urban or regional atmospheric VOC emission sources through "monitoring while navigation", and helped environmental protection agencies to carry out VOC prevention and control.

VOCs are significant precursors of atmospheric ozone (O₃), photochemical smog, secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), and PM2.5. Some VOCs even directly threaten human health due to carcinogenesis.

Howerever, due to scattered emission points and uncertain emission time, it is difficult to be trace Urban atmospheric VOCs with conventional laboratory detection equipment or portable sensors.

M-PTR-MS, characterized by high sensitivity and stability, had been put into practical application in many cities Since 2017. It participated in the Wuhan VOC monitoring study during the COVID-19, providing reference data for atmospheric risk assessment in the area.

The research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Youth Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Link to the paper: Imaging VOC distribution in cities and tracing VOC emission sources with a novel mobile proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer 

The Diagram of M-PTR-MS (Image by LIANG Qu and LI Tong)