Breakthrough during air sampling with polyurethane foam: What do PUF 2/PUF 1 ratios mean?

Frontal chromatography theory is applied to describe movement of gaseous semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) through a column of polyurethane foam (PUF). Collected mass fractions (FC) are predicted for sample volume/breakthrough volume ratios (τ = VS/VB) up to 6.0 and PUF bed theoretical plate numbers (N) from 2 to 16. The predictions assume constant air concentrations and temperatures. Extension of the calculations is done to relate the collection efficiency of a 2-PUF train (FC1+2) to the PUF 2/PUF 1 ratio. FC1+2 exceeds 0.9 for PUF 2/PUF 1 ≤ 0.5 and lengths of PUF commonly used in air samplers. As the PUF 2/PUF 1 ratio approaches unity, confidence in these predictions is limited by the analytical ability to distinguish residues on the two PUFs. Field data should not be arbitrarily discarded because some analytes broke through to the backup PUF trap. The fractional collection efficiencies can be used to estimate air concentrations from quantities retained on the PUF trap when sampling is not quantitative.