Determination of Nitro Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Air and Diesel Particulate Matter Using Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical and Fluorescence Detection

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ac00154a001

Three different approaches to the liquid chromatographic detection of nitro polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in air and diesel particulate extracts are presented, based on differential pulse (LCDPD) and amperometric (LCEC) electrochemical detection and fluorescence detection following on-line reduction to the amine (LCFI).The particulate extraction/fractionation procedure for each detection approach is discussed.The operational advantages of oxygen removal with a platinum oxygen scrubber ( all three types of detection), the use of modulated pulse detection, and wavele nght-programmed fluorescence detection are explored. 1-Nitropyrene is determined in Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1650 diesel particulate matter and in several other " round robin " samples by all three methods.Results are compared to those obtained by other techniques (gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry) and by other laboratories (LCFI).Additionally, 2-nitrofluorene, 9-nitroanthracene, 7-nitrobenzanthracene, and 6-nitrobenzopyrene are determined in SRM 1650 by LCFI.The detection limits for 1-nitropyrene (expressed as picograms) are 5200 (LCDPD), 60 (LCEC), and 10 (LCFI).