Environmental analysis of polar and non-polar Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in airborne particulate matter, settled dust and soot: Part II: Instrumental analysis and occurrence

Interests in PAHs and their derivatives (NPAHs, OPAHs, Azaarenes and PASHs) have been growing because of their toxicity. The second part of this review gathers information on the separation and detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs) and on their occurrence levels in airborne particulate matter, dust and soot. Chromatography is used to separate PACs before their identification and quantification. For both GC and LC, the choice of the stationary phase is crucial to obtain good resolution of PACs, which can be difficult when a lot of compounds are included in the same analysis. Mass Spectrometry is ideal for PACs detection. It can be hyphenated to both GC and LC, is applicable to all subclasses of PACs and its sensitivity and specificity enables environmental assessment of ultratrace levels. PACs are generally around the ng.mu m(-3) level in atmospheric PM and at several mu g.g(-1) in dust and soot. Some geographical and seasonal trends of their occurrence can be highlighted. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Interests in PAHs and their derivatives have been growing due to their toxicity. This review focuses on the separation and detection of PACs, with chromatography and mass spectrometry playing crucial roles in identifying and quantifying these compounds. Detection of PACs in environmental samples at ultratrace levels is possible with the sensitivity and specificity of mass spectrometry.