A procedure for the determination of nitro-substiruted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAH) on crude air-particulate and soil extracts is introduced. Elimination of purification and fractionation procedures was made possible by the use of both a selective ionization method, such as electron-capture chemical ionization, and a specific fragmentation process, in an experiment of tandem mass spectrometry (gas chromatography—electron capture tandem mass spectrometry). Different mass spectrometric procedures were compared. The best performance was observed when the nitro-PAH molecular ions [M]− were mass-selected by the first analyzer under multiple reaction monitoring conditions and then fragmented to NO2− (m/z 46). Detection limits were on the order of hundreds of femtograms, as determined in extracts of real environmental samples. This corresponds approximately to 5–15 pg of nitro-PAH per cubic meter of air sampled. Calibration curves were linear over 3 orders of magnitude. Applications to contamination from motor vehicle combustion and the iron industry are briefly discussed.

Sub-Parts-per-Billion Determination of Nitro-Substituted Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Airborne Particulate Matter and Soil by Electron Capture-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

VINCENTI, Marco;MINERO, Claudio;PELIZZETTI, Ezio;
1996-01-01

Abstract

A procedure for the determination of nitro-substiruted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAH) on crude air-particulate and soil extracts is introduced. Elimination of purification and fractionation procedures was made possible by the use of both a selective ionization method, such as electron-capture chemical ionization, and a specific fragmentation process, in an experiment of tandem mass spectrometry (gas chromatography—electron capture tandem mass spectrometry). Different mass spectrometric procedures were compared. The best performance was observed when the nitro-PAH molecular ions [M]− were mass-selected by the first analyzer under multiple reaction monitoring conditions and then fragmented to NO2− (m/z 46). Detection limits were on the order of hundreds of femtograms, as determined in extracts of real environmental samples. This corresponds approximately to 5–15 pg of nitro-PAH per cubic meter of air sampled. Calibration curves were linear over 3 orders of magnitude. Applications to contamination from motor vehicle combustion and the iron industry are briefly discussed.
1996
7
1255
1265
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1044030596001067
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j0637572163400q0/
M. Vincenti; C. Minero; E. Pelizzetti; M. Fontana; R. De Maria
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/107944
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