You are here:
Technical Note: Fast two-dimensional GC-MS with thermal extraction for anhydro-sugars in fine aerosols
Citation:
Ma, Y., M. D. HAYS, C. D. GERON, J. T. WALKER, JR., AND M. Gichuru. Technical Note: Fast two-dimensional GC-MS with thermal extraction for anhydro-sugars in fine aerosols. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Copernicus Publications, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, 10(9):4332-4341, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
journal article
Description:
A fast two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC-MS) method that uses heart-cutting and thermal extraction (TE) and requires no chemical derivatization is developed for the determination of anhydro-sugars in fine aerosols. Evaluation of the TE-GC-GC-MS method shows high average relative accuracy (~ 90%), reproducibility (~ 10% relative standard deviation), detection limits of less than 3 ng/uL, and negligible carryover for levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan markers. Insignificant differences between TE-GC-GC-MS and solvent extraction (SE)-GC-MS-measured levoglucosan concentrations in several biomass burning aerosols are observed. Because the SE-GC-MS measurements were taken 8 years prior to the TE-GC-GC-MS ones, the stability of levoglucosan is established for quartz filter-collected biomass burning aerosol samples stored at ultra-low temperature. Levoglucosan concentrations observed in laboratory enclosure-generated aerosols from biomass burning are similar to those collected from the atmosphere near fire sources of varying intensity. An average levoglucosan-mannosan-galactosan ratio of 15:2:1 is observed across the biomass burning aerosols examined. TE-GC-GC-MS analysis of atmospheric aerosols from the U.S. and Kenya--typical of rural air and a polluted urban environment impacted by biomass smoke, respectively--produced levoglucosan concentrations (0.01-1.6 ug/m3) well within those reported for aerosols collected globally and examined using different analytical techniques (0.004- 7.6 ulg/m3). Comparisons with aqueous-phase techniques suggest that fast TE-GC-GC-MS is among the most sensitive, accurate, and precise methods for compound-specific quantification of anhydro-sugars. In addition, an approximately two fold increase in aerosol sample throughput is realized when combining TE with fast chromatography for anhydro-sugar determination.
URLs/Downloads:
Contents
NRMRL RTP P 1047.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 640 KB, about PDF)
Discussion Paper
TECH NOTE: FAST TWO-DIMENSIONAL GC-MS WITH THERMAL EXTRACTION FOR ANHYDRO-SUGARS IN FINE AEROSOLS