title: Extraction and analysis of fungal spore biomarkers in atmospheric bioaerosol by HPLC-MS-MS and GC-MS.
abstract: Airborne microorganisms, as bacteria and fungi, are ubiquitous components of the atmospheric aerosol particles. In this paper, we report a method for the simultaneous extraction, purification, separation, identification and quantification of ergosterol, mannitol and arabitol as biomarkers of fungal spores in bioaerosol particles. After sampling by a low volume sampler, filters were spiked with mannitol-(13)C and dehydrocholesterol as internal standards. Samples were then extracted by accelerated solvent extraction using pure ethanol. The extract was then passed through an amino cartridge and divided in two parts: the apolar fraction, released from the cartridge, was subjected to liquid liquid extraction (by n-hexane), while polar compounds, retained by the cartridge, were eluted by a mixture of methanol-water. The two fractions were joined and analyzed by HPLC equipped with two different columns in series, and coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer with Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization source. In addition, the same fractions were analyzed, after derivatization, by GC-MS. The results obtained by the two techniques were finally compared, showing good agreement between them. Last, the contents of the three biomarkers have been estimated in three atmospheric samples collected in a suburban/rural site and, using literature conversion factors, correlated to fungal biomass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro, 5-00185 Rome, Italy. francesca.buiarelli@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buiarelli
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canepari
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Filippo
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perrino
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pomata
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Speziale
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D001272:Atmosphere; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D015415:Biomarkers