Detection of fumigants in air by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) was investigated by the use of the Gasmet Dx-4030 FTIR gas analyzer. Laboratory tests of the gas analyzer were performed using neat fumigant gas from gas cylinders or from evaporated liquids. The fumigants 1,2- dichloroethane, ammonia, chloropicrin, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, methyl bromide, phosphine and sulfuryl fluoride were analyzed during varied humidity and exposure to a chemical background consisting of seven common solvents. The instrument did not face any problems when measuring ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, phosphine or sulfuryl fluoride. While exposed to background chemicals, the gas analyzer overestimated the concentrations of 1,2-dichloroethane and methyl bromide, whereas the concentration of chloropicrin was underestimated. The obtained results indicate that the instrument's resolution (8 cm-1) is not high enough to resolve these three fumigants from a background of common interfering chemicals. A two day long measurement campaign was performed at the container terminal of the Port of Gothenburg in august 2009 to test the gas analyzer in the field. As reference, air was also sampled on Tenax tubes and analyzed with GC-MS to determine the level of background chemicals. The FTIR gas analyzer is easy to use and it quickly resolves the chemical composition of an air sample, but if the level of interfering background chemicals is high there is a problem to measure some of the target chemicals correctly.