Thermal desorption - comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for determination of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives.
We developed a highly sensitive method for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives (oxygenated, nitrated, and methylated PAHs) in trace particulate samples by using thermal desorption followed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (TD-GC×GC-MS/MS) with a selected reaction monitoring mode. The sensitivity of TD-GC×GC-MS/MS was greater than that of TD-GC-HRMS and TD-GC×GC-QMS by one or two orders of magnitude. The instrumental detection limits were 0.03-0.3pg (PAHs), 0.04-0.2pg (oxygenated PAHs), 0.03-0.1pg (nitrated PAHs), and 0.01-0.08pg (methylated PAHs). For small amounts (10-20μg) of standard reference materials (SRMs 1649a and 1650b, urban dust and diesel exhaust particles, respectively), the values measured by using TD-GC×GC-MS/MS agreed with the certified or reference values within a factor of two. Major analytes were quantified successfully by TD-GC×GC-MS/MS from diesel exhaust nanoparticles (18-32nm) and accumulation-mode particles (100-180nm) from an 8-L diesel engine with no exhaust after-treatment system. The PAH profiles differed among driving conditions but they did not differ markedly among the particle sizes.
National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan. fushimi.akihiro@nies.go.jp
Akihiro
A
Fushimi
Shunji
S
Hashimoto
Teruyo
T
Ieda
Nobuo
N
Ochiai
Yoshikatsu
Y
Takazawa
Yuji
Y
Fujitani
Kiyoshi
K
Tanabe
D002138:Calibration; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions