Improvement of the NO2-CI-MS Ion Source for Real-Time Industrial VOC Monitoring: Implications for Sustainable Development

High concentrations of organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by industries are a major source of air pollution in cities and a global climate change risk, which hinders the achievement of sustainable development targets. Strict monitoring is essential to make sure that the regulatory frameworks, including the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the general United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are adhered to. Even though mass spectrometry (MS) is the workhorse of emissions monitoring, the standard ionization sources, Single-Photon Ionization (SPI) and Proton Transfer Reaction (PTR), are inadequate: SPI does not ionize saturated hydrocarbons, and PTR generates too much fragmentation to be used in complex industrial matrices. This paper fills these gaps by comparing a new Nitrogen Dioxide Chemical Ionization (NO ₂ -CI-MS) source to the conventional SPI and PTR techniques. The proposed NO ₂ -CI-MS system, through experimental measurement and control of the electric field, has provided better selectivity and ionization efficiency on alkanes, olefins, and aromatic species with high sensitivity and low fragmentation, thus overcoming the key constraints of the current technologies to detect trace-level pollutants needed to implement stringent policies. Additional pressure optimization of the ion-source increases stability in the long-term operation. The results support SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action) by providing a dependable tool for monitoring industrial VOCs and environmental management. The technology can directly assist in compliance monitoring in the EU IED and offer a technical basis towards achieving SDGs 11 and 13.