Interest in the occurrence and behaviour of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is increasing due to their adverse effects on the environment and human health. It is essential that information is made available on the various aspects of research on VOCs to enable better understanding and control of the various environmental and human health threats. The information in this book will be used to improve communication and understanding of the various approaches. In particular the potential and limitations of the described analytical methods will be essential in defining environmental studies and interpreting the results.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Volatile Organic Compounds in Environment" that was published in Environments

Every day, large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and natural sources. The formation of gaseous and particulate secondary products caused by oxidation of VOCs is one of the largest unknowns in the quantitative prediction of the earth’s climate on a regional and global scale, and on the understanding of local air quality. To be able to model and control their impact, it is essential to understand the sources of VOCs, their distribution in the atmosphere and the chemical transformations which remove these compounds from the atmosphere. In recent years techniques for the analysis of organic compounds in the atmosphere have been developed to increase the spectrum of detectable compounds and their detection limits. New methods have been introduced to increase the time resolution of those measurements and to resolve more complex mixtures of organic compounds. Volatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere describes the current state of knowledge of the chemistry of VOCs as well as the methods and techniques to analyse gaseous and particulate organic compounds in the atmosphere. The aim is to provide an authoritative review to address the needs of both graduate students and active researchers in the field of atmospheric chemistry research.

Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a rapidly growing analytical technique for detecting and identifying very small quantities of chemical compounds in air. It has seen widespread use in atmospheric monitoring and food science and shows increasing promise in applications such as industrial process monitoring, medical science and in crime and security scenarios. Written by leading researchers, this is the first book devoted to PTR-MS and it provides a comprehensive account of the basic principles, the experimental technique and various applications, thus making this book essential reading for researchers, technicians, postgraduate students and professionals in industry. The book contains nine chapters and is divided into two parts. The first part describes the underlying principles of the PTR-MS technique, including • the relevant ion-molecule chemistry • thermodynamics and reaction kinetics • a discussion of ion sources, drift tubes and mass spectrometers • practical aspects of PTR-MS, including calibration. The second part of the book turns its attention to some of the many applications of PTR-MS, demonstrating the scope and benefits, as well as the limitations, of the technique. The chapters that make up the second part of the book build upon the material presented in the first part and are essentially self-contained reviews focusing on the following topics: • environmental science • food science • medicine • homeland security, and • applications of PTR-MS in liquid analysis.

Provides a systematic review of modern methods and instruments for measuring environmental parameters • Profiles the most modern methods and instruments for environment control and monitoring • Gives an assessment of biotic and abiotic factors and their effect on quality of atmosphere and indoor air, soil, water • Provides a brief description of the main climatic (pressure, wind, temperature, humidity, precipitation, solar radiation), atmospheric, hydrographic, and edaphic factors • Covers a wide range environmental methods and instrumentation including those used in the fields of meteorology, air pollution, water quality, soil science and more • Supplied with practical exercises, problems, and tests that will help the reader to learn more deeply contents of the book

"Coming to a conclusion, this wonderful, informative and very interesting book presents an excellent overview of small volatile organic compounds and their role in our life and environment. Really fascinating is the entirety of scientific disciplines which were addressed by this book." –Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 2011 "... this book deserves to be a well-used reference in the library of any laboratory specialising in VOC". –Chemistry World, 2011 Volatile compounds are molecules with a relatively low molecular weight allowing for an efficient evaporation into the air. They are found in many areas of our everyday-life: they are responsible for the communication between species such as plants, insects or mammals; they serve as flavours or fragrances in many food products or perfumed consumer articles; and they play an important role in atmospheric chemistry. This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to volatile molecules. Review-style introductions to the main topics in volatile chemistry and biology are provided by international experts, building into a broad overview of this fascinating field. Topics covered include: The structural variety of volatile compounds Biogeneration of volatiles Synthesis of natural and non-natural volatiles Analysis of volatiles Volatile compounds as semiochemicals in plant-plant or plant-insect interactions Volatiles in pest control Pheromones and the influence of volatiles on mammals Olfaction and human perception Volatiles as fragrances The generation of flavours and food aroma compounds Stabilisation and controlled release of volatiles The impact of volatiles on the environment and the atmosphere