Selective and sensitive analysis of nitro-PAH

Nitro-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAH) were reduced to the corresponding amino-PAH and derivatised with heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA) prior to analysis by gas chromatography and negative ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC/NCIMS). The sensitivity was improved up to 6 times compared to analysis by GC/NCIMS of the underivatised nitro-PAH. A clean-up procedure suitable for complex nitro-PAH containing samples was developed. More than ninety nitro-PAH were indicated in a particulate extract from a diesel automobile exhaust sample.