Fast and cost efficient analysis of organic molecular tracer compounds in PM for source apportionment studies

Abstract

A fast and cost-efficient off-line methodology was developed to analyze organic molecular tracer compounds in atmospheric particulate matter collected on quartz filter after high- or low-volume sampling in outdoor ambient air. The method allows the processing of 20 samples/h, and another hour per sample for analyze by GC-MS of more than 30 tracer compounds that are related to air pollution and major emission sources, such as biomass burning, plastics, personal care products, food cooking, soil dust, traffic, and secondary organic aerosol formation processes. These compounds can be used independently for source apportionment analysis, or by analyzed in combination with data from air quality, meteorology, or toxicity. Overall, the developed methodology provides fast acquisition of data; saving time (85%) and consumables (99% solvents) in the analysis respect to conventional methods, which is very relevant for long term air pollution monitoring and large sample sets. Moreover, only a very small fraction of the whole HiVol-filter sample (<1 m3 eq.sample volume) is used for analysis, which offers the possibility of further analyses in these filters, such as toxicity tests. Here present examples from several source apportionment studies in rural, background and urban traffic sites, relating results to toxicity.