A　sensitive　and　reliable　method　has　been　developed　for　the　simultaneous　determination　of　20　airborne　carbonyl　compounds　in　the　C-1-C-10　range.　The　carbonyls　were　collected　onto　solid　sorbent　coated　with　pentafluorophenyl　hydrazine　(PFPH),　followed　by　solvent　extraction　and　gas　chromatographic　(GC)/mass　spectrometric　(MS)　analysis　of　the　PFPH　derivatives.　The　sorbent　is　packed　into　two　separate　sections　in　a　glass　sampling　tube.　The　two-section　design　allows　convenient　checking　of　collection　efficiency　and　breakthrough.　The　sampling　tube.　with　a　coating　amount　of　971　nmol　PFPH　per　100mg　Tenax　TA　and　operated　at　a　sampling　flow　rate　of　80　mL　min(-1),　collects　the　20　carbonyls　with　efficiencies　above　95%.　Hexane　extracts　the　collected　carbonyls　in　their　PFPH　derivatives　in　the　sampling　tube　with　better　than　95%　extraction　efficiency.　It　is　necessary　to　let　the　sampling　tube　sit　at　ambient　temperature　for　3　days　before　solvent　extraction　to　ensure　complete　derivatization　of　the　carbonyls.　The　limits　of　detection　(LODs)　of　the　tested　carbonyls　are　in　the　range　of　3.7-11.6　ng　per　sample.　The　method　has　been　field-tested　both　in　ambient　environment　and　in　an　indoor　environment　from　burning　mosquito-repel　lent　incense.　Eighteen　carbonyls　were　detected　in　the　ambient　air　samples　with　the　exception　of　o-tolualdehyde　and　m-tolualdehyde,　while　all　the　20　target　carbonyls　were　found　in　the　incense　smoke.　Compare　field　test　with　classical　DNPH-HPLC/UV　method,　good　agreement　exited　between　the　two　methods　for　lower　molecular　carbonyls　but　PFPH　method　is　found　to　be　a　better　analytical　method　for　determination　of　high　molecular　weight　carbonyls.　Crown　Copyright　(c)　2008　Published　by　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.