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Laser-induced fluorescence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: an approach to gas standards

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Abstract

Rapid methods are needed to analyse air pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Reliable semi-quantitative gas standards were required for the development of a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon analysis, based on sampling of air onto multi-channel polydimethylsiloxane rubber traps. Easily constructed diffusion tubes provided naphthalene vapour at ~2 ng s−1. A gas chromatographic fraction collection method for loading less volatile PAHs onto the traps from a flame ionization detector outlet was developed and optimized. The accuracy of the method, which can be further optimized, was sufficient for initial LIF screening tests to flag samples exceeding threshold PAH levels for subsequent quantitative GC–MS analysis.

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Acknowledgments

Funding provided by the CSIR, NLC and NRF is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resources and the Environment, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    Patricia Belinda Crosby Forbes & Andreas Trüe

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    Patricia Belinda Crosby Forbes & Egmont R. Rohwer

Authors
  1. Patricia Belinda Crosby Forbes
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  2. Andreas Trüe
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  3. Egmont R. Rohwer
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Correspondence to Patricia Belinda Crosby Forbes.

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Forbes, P.B.C., Trüe, A. & Rohwer, E.R. Laser-induced fluorescence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: an approach to gas standards. Environ Chem Lett 9, 7–12 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0238-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0238-6

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