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32. Chemical Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosol in Support of Atlanta Health Study: Particle and Multiphase Organics

Hazem S. EL-Zanan and Barbara Zielinska, Ph.D.
Desert Research Institute, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512

In order to evaluate the hazardous air pollutants in Atlanta, GA, samples of PM2.5 were collected for 24 hours using the DRI sequential fine particulate/semi-volatile organic sampler. Ninety-five samples including 78 combined dichloromethane (DCM) and acetone extracts plus 17 water extracts were selected from the 2-year sampling period for detailed chemical analysis. Analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes and steranes and polar organic compounds were performed for all combined DCM and acetone fractions, while the water extracts were analyzed for polar organics only.

Results showed that the concentration of the total PAHs including gas-phase PAHs (with the exception of naphthalene) ranged from 0.06 - 4.3 µg/m3 which constitutes approximately 1 – 46% of the organic carbon concentration, and the particle-phase PAHs constituted 1.4 – 8 % of the total PAHs mass concentrations. The average total concentration of hopanes and steranes for all samples was 10.5 ng/m3, which constitutes < 0.1 % of the average organic carbon concentration of all samples. Hopanes constituted 62.5% of the total hopanes and steranes mass concentration and it was found that the sum of the concentrations of 17a(H),12ß(H)-30-norhopane, 17ß(H),21a(H)-30-norhopane and 17a(H),21ß(H)-hopane was about 25.6% of the total hopanes and steranes concentration of the total polar organics for all samples. The mean polar compounds concentration for all samples was 4.2 µg/m3 (with the exception of hexanoic acid), which constitutes about 52% of the average organic carbon concentration. The mean levoglucosan concentration for all samples was about 52 ng/m3 and constitutes 1.3% of the total polar organic compounds measured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 
 

The Organic Speciation International Worskhop is sponsored by the Western Regional Air Partnership/Western Governors Association. APACE is seeking support from the US Dept. of Energy, US EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, and the National Science Foundation.