Sampling artifact estimates for alkanes, hopanes, and aliphatic carboxylic acids

Sampling artifacts for molecular markers from organic speciation of particulate matter were investigated by analyzing forty-one samples collected in Philadelphia as a part of the Northeast Oxidant and Particulate Study (NEOPS). Samples were collected using a high volume sampler with two quartz fiber...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric environment (1994) 2005-12, Vol.39 (37), p.6945-6956
Main Authors: Sihabut, Tanasri, Ray, Joshua, Northcross, Amanda, McDow, Stephen R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis methods
Applied sciences
Atmospheric pollution
Carboxylic acids
Exact sciences and technology
GCMS
Hopanes
n-alkanes
Organic aerosol
Pollution
Sampling artifact
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Summary:Sampling artifacts for molecular markers from organic speciation of particulate matter were investigated by analyzing forty-one samples collected in Philadelphia as a part of the Northeast Oxidant and Particulate Study (NEOPS). Samples were collected using a high volume sampler with two quartz fiber filters in series. n-Alkanes (C23–C31), hopanes (C27–C31), and n-alkanoic acids (C10–C22) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). The extent of artifact error was dependent on vapor pressure and species concentration. Particulate organic species are classified into the following three categories: (1) the amount collected on the backup filter was often a large fraction of the amount collected on the front filters ( n-alkanes C23 and C24, n-carboxylic acids C10–C14); (2) the amount collected on the backup filter was consistently a small fraction of the amount collected on the front filter ( n-alkanes C25–C28, hopanes C27–C30, n-carboxylic acids C15–C18, and dicarboxylic acids C3–C9); (3) the species was rarely observed on backup filters ( n-alkanes C29–C31, hopanes C31 and C32).
ISSN:1352-2310
1873-2844
DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.02.053