10th International Aerosol Conference
September 2 - September 7, 2018
America's Center Convention Complex
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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Atmospheric Concentration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Nitro- PAHs, Their Temperature Dependence and Gas to Particle Partitioning at a Traffic site in Agra, India

PUNEET KUMAR VERMA, Dinesh Sah, Rangu Venkata Satish, Neeraj Rastogi, K. Maharaj Kumari, Anita Lakhani, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra 282005, India

     Abstract Number: 1312
     Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry

Abstract
Sixteen priority and two Nitro-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons was measured simultaneously both in the gas and particulate phase between October 2015 to July 2016 in the ambient air of Agra, India. Gas and particulate phase samples were collected using High volume sampler on Poly urethane foam plugs and Quartz micro fiber filter papers respectively. Samples were extracted in a mixture of DCM and n-hexane and further analysed using Gas Chromatograph coupled to a Mass Spectrometer. During the sampling period the average total PAH concentration in particulate phase and gas phase were 3121 ± 308.9 and 1732.5 ± 175.1 ng m-3 respectively whereas the concentration of Nitro PAHs was 65.3 ± 16.3 and 24.6 ± 6.55 ng m-3 in the particulate phase and gas phase respectively. Gas particle partitioning of PAHs was investigated employing the Junge-Pankow adsorption, KOA Absorption and Dual model. Statistically significant correlation (p<0.001) for log Kp vs log Pºl was obtained for individual PAHs. Temperature dependency of ambient concentration of PAHs was also investigated using Clausius–Clapeyron plots which suggests that concentration of high volatile PAHs is influenced by the temperature. Positive slope of log Kp and 1/T suggest that the density of PAHs (m3 μg-1) is directly proportional to ambient temperature. In health risk assessment DbA was found as the most carcinogenic and mutagenic as compared to other PAHs followed by BaP.

Key words: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Nitro-PAHs, Junge-Pankow adsorption model, KOA absorption model, Dual model.