Temporal Variations of Atmospheric PAHs in an Urban Area (Strasbourg, France) by Using Long-Duration High-Volume Sampling

ABSTRACT

The atmospheric temporal variations of 17 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been studied in an urban background area situated in the center of Strasbourg (east of France). Sampling was done by using High-Volume sampling on glass fiber filter followed by XAD-2 resins. Sampling was done during seven consecutive days at a flow rate of about 13 m³ h⁻¹ (exact volume of air passing through the traps was monitored by an air flow meter). Two seven-days filters and resins were combined for extraction in order to give a composite of 15 days samples, corresponding to two samples per months. Composite filters and resins ware separately extracted by Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) using acetonitrile (ACN) as solvent (150°C, 3 cycles), concentrated to 1 mL and analyzed by HPLC coupled to a fluorescence detector. Quantification was done by internal standard calibration using triphenyl benzene as internal standard. Results shows that the use of high-volume long-duration atmospheric sampling did not interfere in the interpretation of results as the temporal variability of PAHs was in accordance with their known behavior (higher concentrations in winter,…). Atmospheric levels have been also shown to be in the same order of magnitude as those already observed with shorter time sampling.

KEYWORDS:

• accelerated solvent extraction (ASE)
• gas and particle phases
• HPLC-fluorescence
• urban area