Use of solid-phase microextraction for the detection of acetic acid by ion-trap gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and application to indoor levels in museums.

A simple and efficient method using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-ITMS) was developed for the analysis of acetic acid in air. The choice of the SPME fibre revealed to be critical as well as the sampling and desorption time. A dilution vessel was used for calibration. The precision of the method was found to be 4.7% relative standard deviation (RSD) and the detection limit 5.7 microg m(-3). The SPME-GC-MS technique was applied to the analysis of acetic acid in museum atmospheres.