Objective To develop a method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric fine particulate matters (PM2.5) by ultrasensitive performance liquid chromatography.
Methods Samples were extracted and enriched with acetonitrile by ultrasonic wave. Then acetonitrile and water were used as mobile phase for gradient elution, and separation was conducted on a PAH C18 column. Sample preparation and chromatographic conditions were optimized. Ultrasensitive performance liquid chromatography, photodiode array detector, and fluorescence detector were used to detect PAHs.
Results Sixteen PAHs were separated in 12 min, showing a good linearity in the range of 0.01-0.50 μg/mL. The limits of detection for the PAHs were 0.003-0.036 ng/m3, and the limits of quantification were 0.010-0.119 ng/m3. The average recoveries of 16 PAHs at 0.02, 0.05, and 0.20μg spiked levels were 68.5%-100.6%, with relative standard deviations of 2.0%-7.3% (n=7).
Conclusion The method developed is simple, rapid, efficient, and sensitive; therefore, it is suitable for determination of PAHs in PM2.5.
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