title: Determination of low-molecular-weight dicarboxylic acids in atmospheric aerosols by injection-port derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: A rapid and environmental-friendly injection-port derivatization with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed to determine selected low-molecular weight (LMW) dicarboxylic acids (from C2 to C10) in atmospheric aerosol samples. The parameters related to the derivatization process (i.e., type of ion-pair reagent, injection-port temperature and concentration of ion-pair reagent) were optimized. Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBA-OH) 20 mM in methanol gave excellent yield for di-butyl ester dicarboxylate derivatives at injection-port temperature at 300 degrees C. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) method instead of rotary evaporation was used to concentrate analytes from filter extracts. The recovery from filter extracts ranged from 78 to 95% with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 12%. Limits of quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 25 to 250 pg/m(3). The concentrations of di-carboxylated C2-C5 and total C6-C10 in particles of atmospheric aerosols ranged from 91.9 to 240, 11.3 to 56.7, 9.2 to 49.2, 8.7 to 35.3 and n.d. to 37.8 ng/m(3), respectively. Oxalic acid (C2) was the dominant LMW-dicarboxylic acids detected in aerosol samples. The quantitative results were comparable to the results obtained by the off-line derivatization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Wang-Hsien
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000737:chemistry*; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D008970:Molecular Weight; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; C009405:tetrabutylammonium; D000432:Methanol