title: Identification of fulvic acids and sulfated and nitrated analogues in atmospheric aerosol by electrospray ionization fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.
abstract: The water-soluble organic fractions of aerosol samples collected in Riverside, CA, in summer 2005 were analyzed by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). Elemental compositions of about 1000 molecular species were determined in the range m/z 220-420, and four series of organic compounds were identified, fulvic acids, and S-containing, N-containing, and S- and N-containing molecules. Low-resolution product ion spectra proved the presence of organosulfates, organonitrates, and mixed organosulfates and -nitrates that appear to be structurally closely related to each other and to the fulvic acids. This is the first unambiguous detection of fulvic acid molecules and sulfated components in atmospheric aerosol and the first detection even of nitrated analogues. These species provide new clues to the nature of particulate organic matter in atmospheric aerosol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Water Quality Control, Technical University of Berlin, Sekr KF 4, Strasse des 17 Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany. thorsten.reemtsma@tu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reemtsma
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: These
authors.forename: Prasanna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venkatachari
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Phillip K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Hopke
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linscheid