Development of a method for analysis of organo-arsenic compounds in air

CHED 219

Katherine E. Vessels and Barbara M. Hopkins. Department of Chemistry, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207
Such arsenic containing compounds as roxarsone (4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzenearsonic acid) and p-arsanilic acid have been used as growth promotors in chicken feed. Workers in factories where poultry feed is produced may be exposed to these organo-arsenic compounds, necessitating the development of methods for air sampling in such environments. In this work we analyze for both roxarsone and p-arsanilic in the same sample using polyvinyl chloride filters as a proper sampler for collection of these compounds from air. Following desorption of the filters with methanol, the compounds are reacted with 1,3-propanedithiol converting them to cyclic dithiaarsenolines, which are then detected by GC-MS. The method is tested against the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health criteria. Recovery studies are performed to detect organo-arsenic compounds at levels of 0.1x, 0.5x, 1x, and 2x the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and a storage study determines the stability of filters spiked at the level of the PEL.