Advantages and limitations of the analytical methods currently employed for the assessment of inorganic pollutants in indoor and outdoor air

Abstract

Inorganic air pollutants comprise a broad class of substances, including acids, nitrogen and carbon oxides, ozone, ammonia, chlorine, and other halogenated compounds and ionic species. These types of pollutants can be emitted or produced naturally or anthropogenically outdoors but also can be emitted or generated by indoor activities.

Due to the diverse typology of inorganic compounds, the measurement techniques are also very different. Notwithstanding, there is no comprehensive review that comprises the different instruments and technologies currently existing in the market to design an air quality (AQ) monitoring strategy. Our paper aims at filling this gap by providing an overview and compendium of the most used measurement techniques and methods for the determination of inorganic pollutants in the air, including online and discontinuous methods in terms of advantages and disadvantages, and taking into account specifications such as detection limits, potential artifacts, temporal resolution and costs. Well-established methods, together with innovative instrumentation and methodology have been critically discussed.