ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Distribution
in Fine and Ultrafine Particles Emitted
from Diesel Engines
Małgorzata Szewczyńska1, Małgorzata Pośniak1, Elżbieta Dobrzyńska1,
Krystyna Pyrzyńska2, Joanna Baraniecka2
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1Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute,
Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warsaw, Poland
2Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw,
Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2013;22(2):553-560
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the results of PAH determination adsorbed on fine and ultrafine particles emitted to
the air from diesel exhaust, with a special emphasis on sample preparation procedure prior to HPLC-FL analysis.
Samples were taken with a personal environmental monitor and personal cascade impactor in order to
ensure size-segregated sampling of air particulate matter (in the range of the following particles’ diameters
<0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-1.0, 1.0-2.5, and 2.5-10 μm). Application of solid phase extraction with a BakerBond
PolarPlus column and mixture of acetonitrile/isopropanol (1:1 v/v) for PAH’s elution ensures recovery values
of 94%. The mean content of total PAHs collected at the Diesel engine came to (68.0±3.4) and (78.1±3.9)
ng·m-3 in PM2.5 and PM10 fractions, respectively. The sum of pyrene, fluoranthene, and benzo(a)anthracene
contributed to 74% in the PM2.5 and 66% in PM10 fraction of total PAH content. Average total PAH’s concentrations
in smaller fractions of 0.5-1.0 μm, 0.25-0.5 μm, and <0.25 μm separated with PCI sampler were determined
at the level of (15.5±0.7), (2.05±0.1), and (40.9±2.1) ng·m-3, respectively. In the ultrafine particles’ fraction
(diameters below 0.25 μm), such compounds as phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene,
benzo(k)fluoranhene, and benzo(ghi)perylene were identified and determined. The percentage of PAH’s input
in PM0.25 fraction came to the level of 52% on average, in comparison to total PAH concentrations in the PM10
fraction.