| Abstract
| - The still-remaining high amounts of pentachlorophenol(PCP), used as wood preservative, in buildings and inwaste wood are a potential risk for humans and theenvironment. To ensure a fast and selective measurementof PCP, a screening tool was developed, which is not onlysensitive, but, unlike conventional methods, it requiresno added chemicals, is simple, cost-effective, mobile, andcapable of on-site operation. The instrument combineslight-induced thermodesorption sampling followed by anexternal cavity diode laser based photoacoustic detector.Measurements on wood samples proved that the systemcan determine PCP to as low as a concentration of 10 μg/cm2 within minutes without destruction of the sample. Thesystem was calibrated with reference to the concentrationof PCP impregnated on the wood surface. It is demonstrated that measurements are not influenced by moisturecontent of the wood samples.
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