Characterization of organic compounds on airborne particles

Samples of airborne particles, collected for a joint research project at different sites and at different times of the year, have been analysed by gas chromatography (GC) for their polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content. In addition, two urban samples, one collected during a summer period, the other during a winter period, have been fractioned on a silica gel column into five fractions of increasing polarity. The fractions were analysed by GC, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The moderately polar fractions are dominated by ketone, dione, and aldehyde derivatives of PAH. Nitro derivatives, 3-nitrofluoranthene and 1-nitropyrene, were detected only in the winter sample. The compounds in the most polar fractions were not detectable by the GC-MS technique used. Instead a “fingerprint” analysis on HPLC was made.