Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmosphere of southern Luxembourg using XAD-2 resin-based passive samplers

Claude Schummer, Brice M. Appenzeller, Maurice Millet*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

XAD-2 resin-based passive samplers (PAS) with dimensions adapted to 100 mL accelerated solvent extraction cells were used to study the temporal and spatial variations of 17 PAHs on five sites in the atmosphere of southern Luxembourg. This new design allowed extracting the PAS without emptying the resin from the shelter. PAH analyses were done with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. PAS were deployed for 1 year with varying sampling periodicities, and 16 PAHs were detected with concentrations ranging from 1 ng/PAS for chrysene to 9,727 ng/PAS for naphthalene. The PAS were found adapted to the monitoring of temporal and spatial variations for lightweight PAHs (up to four aromatic rings) though not for heavy PAHs with five aromatic rings or more, as these compounds are preferably in the particle phase of the atmosphere and the amount of these PAHs trapped on the PAS will be too low.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2098-2107
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Science and Pollution Research
Volume21
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2014

Keywords

  • Adsorption kinetics
  • PAHs
  • Passive sampling
  • Spatial variations
  • Temporal variations
  • XAD-2 resin

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