Open AccessValidation of Miniaturized Particulate-Matter Real-Time Samplers for Characterizing Personal Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure
Author(s) -
Beizhan Yan,
Masha Pitiranggon,
James Ross,
Thomas Arthen-Engeland,
Andreas Stelter,
Steven Chillrud N
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of analytical and bioanalytical techniques
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2155-9872
DOI - 10.4172/2155-9872.1000403
Subject(s) - particulates , environmental chemistry , environmental science , polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon , chemistry , volumetric flow rate , relative standard deviation , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , detection limit , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
This study validates the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in microgram levels of particulate matter (PM) collected on filters by two low-flow rate, real-time monitors, microPEM™ and microAeth ® . Particle-associated PAHs were analyzed by a coupling of a gas chromatograph to a sensitive, atmospheric-pressure laser ionization-mass spectrometer. Air particulate samples were collected over the course of one or two days in the living room of a fourth-floor apartment in New York City. Three types of samplers, the two aforementioned personal samplers and a high-flow rate pump (4 liters per minute), were operated side by side, and three samples of each type were collected during each sampling period. Intrasampler agreement as measured by relative standard deviation (RSD) was within 1% to 18%. After background subtraction, total PAH measured by all three sampler types had good agreement (R=0.99). This ability to accurately characterize personal PAH exposure in archived filters collected by these real-time samplers could provide additional important PAH exposure information that can benefit many environmental health studies using these monitors.