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Thermal Extraction–Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry with Heart-Cutting for Nitrogen Heterocyclics in Biomass Burning Aerosols
Citation:
Ma, Y. AND M. D. HAYS. Thermal Extraction–Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry with Heart-Cutting for Nitrogen Heterocyclics in Biomass Burning Aerosols. JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY A. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 1200(2):228-234, (2008).
Impact/Purpose:
Journal article
Description:
A thermal extraction-two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TE-GC-MS) method (with heart-cutting) is developed for quantitatively assessing nitrogen (N-bearing organic species (e.g., pyrrole, pyridine, nitriles, and amines) in aerosols emitted from agricultural fires. Pyrolysis of the constituents in the crop residue is a likely formation pathway for these compounds. An evaluation of the TE-GC-GC-MS method proficiency for them confirms low carryover (<1 %), adequate recovery (84-100%), high reproducibility (<9% RSD), picogram method detection limits, and a linear dynamic range spanning four orders of magnitude. The 14 substances for which quantitative results are available are primarily heterocyclic aromatic N compounds that comprise a surprising 2% wt/wt of the total fine aerosol mass. The benefits of TE-GC-GC-MS versus conventional GC-MS methods for organic N species in aerosols may depend on the matrix and the target N analyte concentration in that matrix; for the biomass burning aerosol examined in this study, the former approach reduces the unresolved complex mixture and detects organic N species not seen with GC-CMS. We show another advantage of TE-GC-GC-MS is that it adequately resolves the anhydro sugar (e.g., levoglucosan), alkanoic acid, and substituted phenol molecules in the biomass burning aerosol without the use of methylation or trimethyly-silyl derivatizing agents.
