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Vehicle interior air quality (VIAQ) measurements are currently conducted using the offline techniques GC/MS and HPLC. To improve throughput, speed of analysis, and enable online measurement, specialized instruments are being developed. These instruments promise to reduce testing cost and provide shortened analysis times at comparable accuracy to the current state of the art offline instruments and methods. This work compares GCMS/HPLC to the Voice200ultra, a specialized real-time instrument utilizing the technique selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). The Voice200ultra is a real-time mass spectrometer that measures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air down to the parts-per-trillion level by volume (pptv). It provides instantaneous, quantifiable results with high selectivity and sensitivity using soft chemical ionization.

Several vehicle-level test procedures exist for measuring and analyzing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from new vehicle interiors. In this paper, four vehicle-level procedures were examined to determine the effect of interior air temperature (driver's side breath position), ventilation, vehicle age, and solar load (intensity and source) on the total VOC concentration. A new vehicle (11 days old) was tested over five weeks at interior air temperatures of ambient, 40°C, and 50°C with the ventilation on and off. Three sources of solar load were examined with loads between 600 and 1,100 W/m₂. The three sources of solar load were 5-Zones of halogen lights, an SC03 test site with metal halide lights, and the sun. Total VOCs were measured (μg/m₃) as well as individual hydrocarbons including formaldehyde. Six temperature points in and around the vehicle were monitored over the course of each test.