A method to detect nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) in the air has been developed using gas chromatography with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation source, coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-APCI-MS/MS). An attempt to create a GC method using negative chemical ionisation (NCI) and a high-resolution mass spectrometer, Orbitrap, (GC-NCI-MS) was made as well without success. Nitro-PAHs are a group of widespread contaminants considered as possible mutagens and carcinogens. They are formed from incomplete combustion of organic matter as well as secondary reactions between PAHs and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air. Three air samples (outdoor, in an air vent and indoor), both particulate and gaseous phase, collected in central Örebro during the spring were extracted and analysed for nitro-PAHs on GC-APCI-MS/MS and for PAHs on GC-MS in EI (electron ionisation) mode. Several studies have reported lower amounts of nitro-PAHs than PAHs in the air, which can be seen in this report as well. The levels of detected nitro-PAHs (1-nitronaphalene and 9-nitroanthracene) and PAHs (naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) in the different samples were 10.2-119 pg/m3 and 291-77700 pg/m3, respectively. Neither group of analytes were found in the particulate phase. The highest concentrations of both nitro-PAHs and PAHs were found indoors, suggesting that other sources than emissions from traffic are responsible.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:oru-93377 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Struwe, Nathalie |
| Publisher | Örebro universitet, Institutionen för naturvetenskap och teknik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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