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Abstract
Ultrasonic extraction of airborne particulate material on Hi-Vol filters is described. Almost all of the polar compounds are removed during the extraction by adsorption on the surface of the shredded glass fibers and controlled pore glass powder (CPG). The non-polar polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the extract are separated at room temperature by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) on reverse phase Vydac using acetonitrile:water (70:30 v/v) as the chromatographic solvent. There is baseline separation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkFt) and of benzo(e)pyrene (BeP), benzo(b)fluoranthene and perylene, the latter three present in one band. Extracts of airborne particulates show the same peaks. BaP elutes in approximately 14 minutes. Precision and accuracy measurements indicate full recovery of PAH and good extraction reproducibility. The detection limit of BaP at F 290/389 is less than 10 pg. Total analysis time is approximately 1 1/2 hr, most of which is waiting time.