PM 2.5 Semivolatile Organic Material at Riverside, California: Implications for the PM 2.5 Federal Reference Method Sampler

Abstract

Particulate semivolatile organic compounds can be lost from particles on a filter during sample collection and storage, resulting in a artifact. Gas-phase organic compounds can adsorb on a quartz filter to cause a artifact. A sampler (Particle Concentrator-Brigham Young University Organic Sampling System: PC-BOSS) has been developed that uses a cyclone and virtual impactor (particle concentrator) inlet to provide a concentrated stream of 0.1-2.5 w m particles. The concentrator is followed by a BOSS diffusion denuder to remove interfering gas-phase compounds and filter packs to collect particles, including any semivolatile species lost from the particles during sampling. The sampler can be used for the determination of both fine particulate nitrate and semivolatile organic material without significant positive or negative sampling artifacts. The sampler has been evaluated at Riverside, CA. The collection efficiency of the particle concentrator was stable, being 65% - 2% and 61% - 1% f...