Method for verifying the integrity of thermal desorption sampling tubes

1. A method of transferring an analyte of a sample to an analytical instrument, the method comprising:

introducing a first quantity of a standard material into a first vessel containing an adsorbent material;

introducing a quantity of the sample into the first vessel;

transferring the analyte of the sample and a compound of the standard material to the analytical instrument;

selecting a standard having chromatographic detection characteristics indicative of the sample to be analyzed;

introducing the standard into a vessel placed at a location of thermal desorption;

transporting the vessel to a site remote from and separate from the location for collecting a sample, wherein the sample is mixed with the standard;

transporting the vessel to the location;

introducing the sample and standard into a chromatograph column;

detecting the sample and standard as both exit the chromatograph column; and

determining an integrity of the sample collection by comparing the detections of the sample with the detections of the standard.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the standard material is a standard gas of known quantity and composition.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein transferring the analyte of the sample gas and the compound of the standard gas to the analytical instrument comprises transferring the analyte of the sample gas and the compound of the standard gas to the analytical instrument in flow with a carrier gas.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising venting the carrier gas from the first vessel.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein transferring the analyte of the sample gas and the compound of the standard gas to the analytical instrument comprises desorbing the compound of the standard gas and the analyte of the sample gas from the first vessel.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein desorbing the compound of the standard gas and the analyte of the sample gas comprises thermally desorbing the compound of the standard gas and the analyte of the sample.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the compound of the standard gas comprises one or more compounds not present in the analyte of the sample gas and of similar quantity and composition to the analyte of the sample gas.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

separating an analyte of the sample gas from a compound of the standard gas;

determining the mass spectrum of the compound of the standard gas; and

comparing the mass spectrum of the compound of the standard gas to a known mass spectrum of the compound of the standard gas.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

determining the mass spectrum of an analyte of the sample gas;

comparing the mass spectrum of the analyte of the sample gas to a known mass spectrum of the analyte of the sample gas.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising comparing intensities of individual mass spectra of the compound of the standard gas to a standard mass spectra of the compound of the standard gas.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising introducing a second quantity of a standard gas into the first vessel wherein the second quantity of a standard gas is different than the first quantity of the standard gas.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein introducing a second quantity of a standard gas into the first vessel comprises introducing the second quantity of a standard gas into the first vessel after introducing a quantity of the sample gas into the first vessel and before transferring the analyte of the sample gas and a compound of the standard gas to the analytical instrument.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising calibrating the analytical instrument so as to obtain a mass spectra of the second quantity of a standard gas comparable to a standard value thereof in a standard sample.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising introducing a second standard into the vessel before introduction into the chromatograph column.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

introducing the standard, sample, and second standard into the chromatograph column;

detecting the sample, standard, and second standard as all exit the chromatograph column; and

determining an integrity of the sample collection by comparing the detections of the sample with the standard and second standard.

16. A method of transferring an analyte of a sample to an analytical instrument, the method comprising:

first introducing a first quantity of a standard material into a first vessel containing an adsorbent material;

then introducing a quantity of the sample into the first vessel; and

transferring the analyte of the sample and a compound of the standard material to the analytical instrument via a carrier gas flow introduced after the sample is introduced into the vessel;

selecting a standard having chromatographic detection characteristics indicative of the sample to be analyzed;

introducing the standard into a vessel placed at a location of thermal desorption;

transporting the vessel to a site remote from and separate from the location for collecting a sample, wherein the sample is mixed with the standard;

transporting the vessel to the location;

introducing the sample and standard into a chromatograph column;

detecting the sample and standard as both exit the chromatograph column; and

determining an integrity of the sample collection by comparing the detections of the sample with the detections of the standard.