Determination of PM2.5-bound polyaromatic hydrocarbons and their hydroxylated derivatives by atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Yanhao Zhang; Yanyan Chen; Ruijin Li; Wei Chen; Yuanyuan Song; Di Hu; Zongwei Cai

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2018.12.006

Determination of PM_2.5-bound polyaromatic hydrocarbons and their hydroxylated derivatives by atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Talanta. 2019 Apr 1:195:757-763. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.12.006. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Authors

Yanhao Zhang¹, Yanyan Chen², Ruijin Li³, Wei Chen¹, Yuanyuan Song¹, Di Hu¹, Zongwei Cai⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Institute of Environmental Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: zwcai@hkbu.edu.hk.

PMID: 30625613
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.12.006

Abstract

A new method for the determination of 19 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 12 hydroxy-polyaromatic hydrocarbons (OHPAHs) in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) was developed using atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS). Better sensitivity was achieved by APGC-MS/MS than conventional liquid chromatography or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The method detection limits (< 0.4 pg m^-3 for PAHs and < 0.076 pg m^-3 for OHPAHs), recoveries (67.7-120%), repeatability (RSD of 0.9-19.1%) and linearity (R² > 0.99) were obtained for the analysis of PM_2.5 samples. The content profile of 19 PAHs and 12 OHPAHs were successfully obtained in 55 PM_2.5 samples collected from two major Chinese megacities, Taiyuan and Guangzhou, in both summer and winter by this method. Based on the concentrations, possible emission sources for the pollutants were also identified.

Keywords: Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry; OHPAHs; PAHs; PM(2.5).