Luis Lim

Field Operations Section Chief

Bureau of Air Monitoring
New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection
P.O. Box 420
Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
609-633-1151
Luis.Lim@dep.state.nj.us

Syntech GC955
BTEX Analyzer
Operation and Calibration
Syntech GC955 BTEX Analyzer
 Automated Gas Chromatograph (GC)
 Photo Ionization Detector (PID)
 Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene
and o-Xylene
 15-minute cycle time
 Rack-mountable industrial computer with
dedicated Syntech software
 Communication to Envista Ultimate by RS232
 Remote Communication by PC-Anywhere
Syntech GC955
BTEX Communication
 Data Logging by EnvidasFW or Envista
Ultimate
 1-minute data
 15-minute cycle, 30-minute lag
Syntech GC955 View Modes
 Actual Run PID – Normal “RUN” mode, to
view current data
 Data File – to view past data
chromatograms or validation/calibration
chromatograms
 Program Edit – to change settings,
configurations and calibration sequences
Actual Run PID Mode
 View chromatogram as it is occurring
(from 15 minutes ago)
 Activate “manual” autovalidation
Data File Mode
 To view completed chromatogram
Data File Mode
 To view completed autovalidation
Data as Text
 Automatic Generation of Local Text
Report
Program Edit Mode
 To view Run Settings
 To view Autovalidation/Calibration
Settings
Operation
 Nitrogen as carrier gas
 Multi-blend bottle calibration gas
 Teflon Inline filter to analyzer inlet
 Teflon ¼” sample line to glass manifold
 Needs tight temperature control
 Remote operation by PC-Anywhere
 Daily autovalidation without correction
Data Issues
 Remote and Local databases
 For 1-minute data, use “Last Sample” in
Envista/EnvidasFW
 30-minute lag time
 Calibrations can drift
 Peaks can drift out of peakwindows
 Frequency of data review
 Frequency of correction
Calibration
 Automated Validation without Correction
 Single “span” check
 Concentrations around 10 ppb for Benzene,
Toluene, Ethylbenzene, o-Xylene; around 20
ppb for m,p-Xylene
 Scheduled daily
 Results reviewed frequently
 Criteria for Manual Validation with
Correction
Calibration Setup
Calibration
 Manual Calibration with Correction
 Routine Validation is outside criteria
 Criteria and frequency of review is
determined in order to reduce manual
editing of data, i.e., correct adjust before it
goes out of control
 Manually activated
 Need to “save” the program file in order to
make corrections permanent
Manual Calibration Setup
More Issues
 Company is in the Netherlands
 Operation of software can be confusing
 Sensitive to temperature
 Not much experience in data review
 Not much experience in maintenance
 USB port is out of the way
 Support is far and expensive
Problems
 Retention time (peakwindow) shifts
Problems
 Missing peak
More Problems
 Resultsof successive autovalidation
checks can be >+10% difference
 One autovalidation cycle is scheduled,
but 2 can occur
 Local data occasionally does not match
central data
 Span/sample switch stopped working
Moving Ahead
 Currently Operating BTEX at:
 Camden
 Elizabeth (Exit 13)
 Newark Firehouse (NCore)
 Future sites at:
 Bayonne
 Fort Lee (Near Road)
 Data Not in AQS, but generally match NJ Air
Toxics TO-15 Data
 Questions