Analysis of vaporous contaminants including low-volatility analytes permeating textiles at room temperature using headspace solid-phase microextraction GC–MS

Detection of toxic vapors permeating textiles is an important measure of the efficacy of a protective garment. Here, we demonstrate a method to detect and analyze contaminant vapors as they permeate through cotton textiles. Specifically, we show how this method can be improved upon by the incorporation of solid-phase microextraction into the sampling process, thereby allowing low-volatility analytes to be sampled at room temperature without significantly influencing the concentration of the contaminant in the headspace. Furthermore, this technique can be extended to other applications in the development of barrier materials as it lends itself to kinetics as well as direct comparison of materials' total chemical permeation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.