title: Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons extracted from air particulate matter using a temperature programmable injector coupled to GC-C-IRMS.
abstract: Compound specific isotopic analysis (CSIA) can provide information about the origin of analysed compounds - in this case, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the study, PAHs were extracted from three dust samples: winter and summer filter dust and tunnel dust. The measurement was performed using the method validated in our laboratory using pure, solid compounds and EPA 610 reference assortment. CSIA required an appropriate clean-up method to avoid an unresolved complex in the gas chromatographic analysis usually found in the chromatography of PAHs. Extensive sample clean-up for this particular matrix was found to be necessary to obtain good gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis results. The sample purification method included two steps in which the sample is cleaned up and the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons are separated. The concentration of PAHs in the measured samples was low; so a large volume injection technique (100 microl) was applied. The delta(VPDB)(13)C was measured with a final uncertainty smaller than 1 per thousand. Comparison of the delta(VPDB)(13)C signatures of PAHs extracted from different dust samples was feasible with this method and, doing so, significant differences were observed.
authors.affiliation: Joint Research Centre-European Commission, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Geel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikolajczuk
authors.forename: Elzbieta Perez
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Przyk
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geypens
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012621:Seasons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004391:Dust; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons