Environmental PAH analysis by gas chromatography–atmospheric pressure laser ionization–time-of-flight–mass spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS)

Abstract

The application of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) analysis by gas chromatography coupled with atmospheric pressure laser ionization and mass spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS) to environmental samples was investigated in the study. The limit of detection for 40 PAH in a standard mixture was 5-100 fg, demonstrating GC-APLI-MS to be a highly sensitive technique and more sensitive by a factor of 100-3,500 compared to GC-MS. Acenaphthylene and cyclopenta[cd]pyrene were not detectable <2,500 fg per injection. To make use of this very high PAH sensitivity, the technique was applied to samples of environmental interest with limited available sample amounts such as particulate matter (PM), soot and a sample from a bioaccumulation test with Lumbriculus variegatus. First, special sample preparation was necessary and ultrasonic extraction proved to be suitable, if a thorough clean-up was performed and plastic materials avoided. By GC-APLI-MS and GC-MS, 224 and 28 single PAH compounds were detected in PM, about 1,000 and 15 in birch soot, and 9 and 2 in worm tissue, respectively, revealing the enormous potential of the method. The selectivity of GC-APLI-MS was shown for a crude oil where >2,200 PAH were detected without any sample preparation.

Ionization of EPA Contaminants in Direct and Dopant-Assisted Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization and Atmospheric Pressure Laser Ionization

“…All the PAHs of the present study have IEs well below the two-photon energy. PAHs have been reported to be efficiently ionized by REMPI in several publications, including APLI [13,14,[23][24][25]. However, significantly lower signals were a c h i e v e d f o r a c en a p h t h y l e n e, a n t h r ac e n e , a n d fluorantherene than the seemingly similar acenaphthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, respectively.…”

“…Atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) is another ionization technique for LC-MS, which has been shown to be highly selective towards completely nonpolar, highly conjugated molecules, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [13]. APLI is much less explored, but its suitability as an interface for both LC-MS and GC-MS has been demonstrated [13,14].…”

Benzo[c]fluorene in Urban Air: HPLC Determination and Mutagenic Contribution Relative to Benzo[a]pyrene

“…The LOD of the proposed HPLC-FLD method is approximately 26 times lower than that of the GC-MS method. 19 The proposed method was used to quantify BcFE in airborne particulates collected in winter in Beijing, China. The difference between the concentration of BcFE as determined using the standard addition method (16.5 ng mL -1 ) and the concentration determined using the internal standard method (15.7 ng mL -1 ) was small enough (4.7%) to enable quantification.…”

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in biochar-based fertilizer by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

“…However, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are likely to be formed during biochar preparation [4]. These PAHs are produced through the pyrolysis of lignins and cellulose in biochar feedstoc ks via dealkylation, d ehydroge nation, cyclisation, aromatization, and/or radical reactions [5,6]. Recent studies have examined the PAH content of biochar.…”