Comparison of the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer and the Miniature Infrared Analyzer (MIRAN) for the determination of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the presence of Freon-113 in workplace air.

Results obtained using the Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and the Miniature Infrared Analyzer (MIRAN) for samples of workplace air containing trichloroethylene (TCE) were evaluated through comparison with results obtained when using a gas chromatography (GC). The effects of instrument resolution, relative humidity, and sample storage stability were studied. Relative humidity was found to have no effect on the performance of the FTIR over the range studied. The effect of changing resolution is complex but is explained. The linear range of the FTIR is more than adequate for the concentrations encountered in the samples reported in this study. Interference from Freon caused the TCE values to be high when the MIRAN was operated in the single-wavelength mode.