A Technique for Controllable Vapor-Phase Deposition of l-Nitro[¹⁴C]pyrene and Other Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons onto Environmental Particulate Matter

Abstract

To produce environmental particles fortified with a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) for toxicology studies, an experimental apparatus was devised for deposition of the desired chemical species onto particles in a controlled and reproducible manner. The technique utilized consists of dispersion of the particles on a gaseous stream at a controlled rate, thermal vaporization of a solution of PAH, delivery of the vaporized PAH into the aerosol of particles at a controlled rate, subsequent condensation of the PAH onto the particles, and final recovery of the coated particles. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated by vapor-coating a ¹⁴C-labeled PAH (l-nitro[¹⁴C]-pyrene) onto diesel engine exhaust particles that had previously been collected by tunnel dilution sampling techniques. Using the ¹⁴C label as a tracer, the coated particles were characterized with respect to degree of coating, integrity of particle structure and absence of chemical decomposition of the coating substrate. This study demonstrates that the described method provides a controllable means for depositing a substance uniformly and with a high coating efficiency onto aerosolized particles. The technique was also used to vapor-coat benzo(a)pyrene onto diesel engine exhaust and urban ambient air particulate matter, and 2-nitrofluoranthene onto urban ambient air particulate matter. Coating efficiencies of about 400 μg/g particulate matter were routinely obtained on a single coating run, and up to 1200 μg/g (1200 ppm) were achieved after a second pass through the process. The coated particles were subsequently utilized in biological fate, distribution and metabolism studies