On-road traffic emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their oxy- and nitro- derivative compounds measured in a road tunnel environment

AbstractVehicular emissions are a key source of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their oxygenated (OPAH) and nitrated (NPAH) derivatives, in the urban environment. Road tunnels are a useful environment for the characterisation of on-road vehicular emissions, providing a realistic traffic fleet and a lack of direct sunlight, chemical reactivity and non-traffic sources. In the present investigation the concentrations of selected PAHs, OPAHs and NPAHs have been measured in the Parc des Princes Tunnel in Paris (PdPT, France), and at the Queensway Road Tunnel and an urban background site in Birmingham (QT, U.K). A higher proportion of semi-volatile (3–4 ring) PAH, OPAH and NPAH compounds are associated with the particulate phase compared with samples from the ambient environment. A large (~85%) decline in total PAH concentrations is observed between 1992 and 2012 measurements in QT. This is attributed primarily to the introduction of catalytic converters in the U.K as well as increasingly stringent EU vehicle emissions legislation. In contrast, NPAH concentrations measured in 2012 are similar to those measured in 1996. This observation, in addition to an increased proportion of (Phe+Flt+Pyr) in the observed PAH burden in the tunnel, is attributed to the increased number of diesel passenger vehicles in the U.K during this period. Except for OPAHs, comparable PAH and NPAH concentrations are observed in both investigated tunnels (QT and PdP). Significant differences are shown for specific substances between PAC chemical profiles in relation with the national traffic fleet differences (33% diesel passenger cars in U.K. vs 69% in France and up to 80% taking into account all vehicle categories). The dominating and sole contribution of 1-Nitropyrene observed in the PdPT NPAH profile strengthens the promising use of this compound as a diesel exhaust marker for PM source apportionment studies

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated PAHs and oxygenated PAHs in ambient air of the Marseilles area (South of France) : concentrations and sources

International audienceAmbient measurements (gas + particle phases) of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 17 nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) and 9 oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) were carried out during July 2004 on three different sites (urban, sub-urban and rural) in the region of Marseilles (South of France). Atmospheric concentrations of these classes of polyaromatics are great of interest because of their high potential mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. OPAH concentrations were of the same order of magnitude as those of PAHs while NPAH concentrations were one to two orders lower. 9-Fluorenone and 9,10-anthraquinone were the most abundant OPAHs, accounting for about 60% and 20% of the total OPAH concentration. Respectively 1-and 2-nitronaphthalene were the most abundant NPAHs and were accounting for about 30-50% and 15-30% of the total NPAH concentration. NPAHs and OPAHs concentration levels were consistent with the characteristics of the sampling sites. Study of source specific ratios (2-nitrofluoranthene/1-nitropyrene) clearly showed those primary NPAH sources influence the urban and sub-urban sites whereas production of secondary NPAHs by gas phase reactions was prevalent at the rural site. The study of NPAH and OPAH sources suggested that gasoline engines were an important source of such compounds Whereas the dominant source of 1-nitropyrene, 2-nitrofluorene, 6-nitrochrysene and benz[a]anthracene-7,12-dione seems to be diesel vehicles. Finally, 9,10-anthraquinone presents a double origin: primary diesel emission and photochemical processes. Formation of 9,10-anthraquinone from anthracene ozonation was shown at the rural site. Further investigations will be necessary in order to discriminate when (before or during the sampling) the OPAHs are formed

Sampling precautions for the measurement of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air

International audienceBecause of the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and of their oxidation products, such as nitrated and oxygenated PAHs (NPAHs and OPAHs), the determination of their concentrations is of great interest in terms of atmospheric pollution control. Then, normalisation of sampling procedures appears essential. In this context, this paper presents a comparison of particulate PAH, OPAH and NPAH concentrations determined with two different samplers (cascade impactor and conventional high volume sampler) installed in parallel during several field sampling campaigns carried out under different environmental conditions. For winter and summer periods, the PAH and OPAH concentrations determined with both sampling systems were considered as equivalent. In the summer period, NPAH concentrations quantified with both sampling devices were similar whereas in the winter period, the conventional high volume sampler underestimated their concentrations by a factor of 3-4. This underestimation was observed in the same proportion for all the 17 quantified NPAHs. Analytical error, NPAH formation during the sampling and NPAH degradation by reaction with gaseous oxidants associated to sampling methodology were unable to explain such differences between both samplers used in parallel. A probable hypothesis is that the heating of the PM10 head of the high volume sampler in the winter period generates an increase of the internal sampler temperature that could intensify the chemical degradation of the NPAHs inducing the underestimation of their concentrations in the atmosphere. Further investigations will be necessary to confirm the importance of the temperature on the chemical degradation of these compounds and to understand the different behaviour of PAHs and OPAHs. Consequently, we suggest using oxidant scrubber to prevent chemical degradation of PAHs and derivatives during their sampling. Moreover, we advise against the heating of the sampling head which could induce an increase of these reactions of degradation especially for NPAHs

Detecting and Characterizing Particulate Organic Nitrates with an Aerodyne Long-ToF Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

Particulate organic nitrate (pON) can be a major part of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and is commonly quantified by indirect means from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) data. However, pON quantification remains challenging. Here, we set out to quantify and characterize pON in the boreal forest, through direct field observations at Station for Measuring Ecosystem Atmosphere Relationships (SMEAR) II in Hyytia''la'', Finland, and targeted single precursor laboratory studies. We utilized a long time-of-flight AMS (LToF-AMS) for aerosol chemical characterization, with a particular focus to identify CxHyOzN+ ("CHON+") fragments. We estimate that during springtime at SMEAR II, pON (including both the organic and nitrate part) accounts for similar to 10% of the particle mass concentration (calculated by the NO+/NO2+ method) and originates mainly from the NO3 radical oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds. The majority of the background nitrate aerosol measured is organic. The CHON+ fragment analysis was largely unsuccessful at SMEAR II, mainly due to low concentrations of the few detected fragments. However, our findings may be useful at other sites as we identified 80 unique CHON+ fragments from the laboratory measurements of SOA formed from NO3 radical oxidation of three pON precursors (beta-pinene, limonene, and guaiacol). Finally, we noted a significant effect on ion identification during the LToF-AMS high-resolution data processing, resulting in too many ions being fit, depending on whether tungsten ions (W+) were used in the peak width determination. Although this phenomenon may be instrument-specific, we encourage all (LTOF-) AMS users to investigate this effect on their instrument to reduce the possibility of incorrect identifications.Peer reviewe

A really quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction procedure for the analysis of particle-bound PAHs in ambient air and emission samples

International audienceA quick easy cheap effective rugged and safe (QuEChERS) like extraction procedure is presented for the measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated to particulate matter from ambient air or combustion process. The procedure is based on a short mechanical agitation (vortex during 90 s) using a small volume of acetonitrile (7 ml) as extraction solvent. Equivalent extraction efficiencies were obtained when comparing the QuEChERS and the traditional pressurized solvent extraction (ASE) procedures for ambient air and emission (wood combustion) filter samples. The developed QuEChERS extraction protocol was validated with the analysis of a standard reference material (NIST SRM 1649a, urban dust). By comparison to other extraction methods including ASE, the simplicity of the QuEChERS protocol allows to minimize experimental errors, to decrease about a factor 5 the cost per extraction and to increase the productivity per working day by a 10-fold factor. This paper constitutes the first report on the applicability of a QuEChERS-like approach for the quantification of PAHs or other organic compounds in atmospheric particulate matter

Hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques et leurs dérivés nitrés et oxygénés dans l'air ambiant : caractérisation physico-chimique et origine

Several studies on the toxicity of the particles in the ambient air show that the polar phase, which contains the oxygenated and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs and NPAHs), is more toxic than the aromatic fraction containing the PAH. In this context, the objective of this study was to chemically characterize the NPAHs and OPAHs in ambient air on various sites (traffic, urban, suburban, rural and altitude). Samplings were performed within the framework of the French research program POllution des Vallées Alpines (POVA) during the winter 2002-2003 and the summer 2003 and in the area of Marseilles in summer 2004. Both, ambient air particulate and gas phases were sampled and particle size distribution was also studied. The results obtained on the OPAHs and the NPAHs contribute to increase the data base even still limited on these compounds. First, we developed a routine analytical method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of NPAHs and OPAHs in complex environmental matrices, using GC/NICI-MS. Results from the field campaigns show that, OPAH concentration levels were of the same order of magnitude as PAHs while NPAH concentrations were one to two orders of magnitude lower. Carcinogenic risk was estimated using toxic equivalent factors. NPAHs could contribute to 20% of the total risk. Study of source specific ratios clearly showed these compounds have a primary origin at the sites close to the sources of pollution whereas production of secondary NPAHs by gas phase reactions was prevalent at the rural sites far to the direct sources of pollution and initiated by OH (day-time reactions). The study of NPAH and OPAH sources suggested that gasoline engines were an important source of such compounds. The OPAH 9,10-anthraquinone presents a double origin: primary diesel emission and photochemical processes without to be able to discriminate when the formation occurred (before or during the sampling). The fraction of PAHs, OPAHs and NPAHs associated with the particle phase was strongly depending on their vapour pressure and the ambient temperature. Sources of these compounds take a part in their gas/particle partitioning which can bring information on their primary or secondary origin. Finally, during both, the winter and summer period, PAHs, OPAHs and NPAHs were mainly associated (>80%) with fine particles (Dp80%) associés à la fraction fine de l'aérosol (Dp<1,3 µm) et ce quelque soit la saison considérée (hiver et été). Les caractéristiques chimiques des différentes classes de composés (polarité…) peuvent néanmoins jouer un rôle quant à leur distribution en taille

Dérivés oxygénés et nitrés des hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques en phase particulaire : granulométrie et devenir dans l’atmosphère

To better understand the source and fate in the atmosphere of PAH derivatives, two complementary approaches were used: laboratory reactivity experiments in controlled conditions and field studies. Reactivity studies were carried out by exposing natural ambient air particles to oxidants (O3, OH and NO2/O3). Large decays of PAHs were observed and B[a]P appeared as the most reactive. The formation of oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) and nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) was showed. However, quantities formed were not sufficient to explain the total amount of PAHs that reacted, highlighting the formation of other compounds not detected in this work. Field campaigns were performed on two different sampling sites around Paris. Concentrations were 10 times higher at the traffic site than at the suburban one. OPAHs and PAHs major compounds were similar at both sites, in contrary to NPAHs. The traffic site was influenced by primary emissions, whereas high amounts of secondary species were quantified at the suburban site. Particle size distribution of OPAHs and NPAHs showed their strong association to the finest particles (Dp < 2.5 μm), highlighting the interest of their study considering sanitary impacts.Les hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques (HAP) sont des composés réglementés dans l’air ambiant en raison de leurs propriétés cancérigènes et mutagènes avérées. Ces composés, émis par tous les processus de combustion, peuvent réagir avec les oxydants atmosphériques (O3, NO2, OH, NO3, N2O5, etc.) et former des dérivés oxygénés (OHAP) et nitrés (NHAP) qui semblent plus toxiques que les HAP parents. Le travail présenté ici est centré sur l’étude des sources et le devenir dans l’atmosphère des HAP et de leurs dérivés par l’intermédiaire de deux approches complémentaires : expérimentations en laboratoire en conditions contrôlées et études de terrain