Concentration analysis of volatile constituents of mosquito incense coil Using Handy TD Portable Thermal Desorber and MonoTrap Simple Enrichment Tools

Importance of the topic

Volatile organic compounds emitted by mosquito coils can have significant health and environmental impacts. Accurate profiling of these volatiles is critical for evaluating potential hazards, optimizing coil formulations, and advancing indoor air quality research.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study aimed to capture and analyze the volatile fraction of a commercial mosquito-incense coil using a portable thermal desorption system coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The focus was on rapid screening of aromatic and heterocyclic components contributing to coil aroma and toxicity.

Methodology

The mosquito coil sample was placed in a sealed vessel at room temperature. Three MonoTrap adsorbent devices were exposed to the headspace for one hour to enrich volatile species. Adsorbents were then thermally desorbed directly into a GC inlet using the HandyTD unit.

Used Instrumentation

• HandyTD TD 265 portable thermal desorber
• MonoTrap RGC18TD adsorption probes
• GC-MS system with InertCap Pure WAX column (0.25 mm I.D. x 60 m, 0.25 µm film)
• Helium carrier gas and MS scan detection (m/z 45–450)

Main Results and Discussion

Library matching identified over thirty compounds including pyridines, alkylated aromatics, nitriles, phenols, and nitrogen heterocycles. Key volatiles such as pyridine, methylpyridines, cresols, and eugenol derivatives were detected. The compact setup enabled efficient desorption and separation without extensive sample pretreatment.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Rapid onsite screening of complex volatiles in consumer products
• Reduced sample handling and reagent use thanks to direct thermal desorption
• Portable setup suited for quality control and environmental monitoring

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Advances may include coupling portable desorbers with improved sorbents for selective capture, integration with miniaturized MS detectors, and real-time monitoring of indoor air pollutants from household items.

Conclusion

The combination of MonoTrap enrichment and HandyTD thermal desorption with GC-MS provides a fast, field-deployable method for profiling volatile constituents of mosquito coils. This approach offers an efficient alternative to traditional extraction techniques, supporting product development and safety assessment.

Reference

No formal literature references were provided.