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Time-resolved monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on atmospheric particles

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Abstract

Real-time monitoring of individual particles from atmospheric aerosols was performed by means of a specifically developed single-particle fluorescence spectrometer (SPFS). The observed fluorescence was assigned to particles bearing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). This assignment was supported by an intercomparison with classical speciation on filters followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. As compared with daily averaged data, our time-resolved approach provided information about the physicochemical dynamics of the particles. In particular, distinctions were made between background emissions related to heating, and traffic peaks during rush hours. Also, the evolution of the peak fluorescence wavelength provided an indication of the aging of the particles during the day.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge unvaluable experimental assistance from Francesco Battaglia, Elicio Délicado, and Pierre-Emmanuel Huguenot (État de Genève – DETA – SABRA). We also acknowledge funding by the Swiss National Science Foundation through the NCCR MUST (Molecular Ultrafast Science and Technology) Network. J.P. Wolf acknowledges support from the European Research Council ERC-2013-PoC, Grant 632156, « LIPBA ».

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Genève, GAP, Chemin de Pinchat 22, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland

    Gustavo Sousa, Denis Kiselev, Jérôme Kasparian & Jean-Pierre Wolf

  2. État de Genève – DETA – SABRA, Avenue de Sainte-Clotilde 23, CP 78, 1211, Geneva 8, Switzerland

    José Ferreira, Philippe Favreau & Benoît Lazzarotto

  3. University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, IRCELYON, 69626, Villeurbanne, France

    Christian George

Authors
  1. Gustavo Sousa
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  2. Denis Kiselev
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  3. Jérôme Kasparian
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  4. Christian George
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  5. José Ferreira
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  6. Philippe Favreau
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  7. Benoît Lazzarotto
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  8. Jean-Pierre Wolf
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jérôme Kasparian.

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Responsible editor: Constantini Samara

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Sousa, G., Kiselev, D., Kasparian, J. et al. Time-resolved monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on atmospheric particles. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 19517–19523 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9612-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9612-2

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