AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Abstract View
Identification of the Main Contributors Producing Nitrosamines in the Atmosphere at Seoul, Republic of Korea
NARAE CHOI, Yun Gyong Ahn, Hyung Bae Lim, Ji Yi Lee, Yong Pyo Kim, Ewha Womans University
Abstract Number: 707 Working Group: Urban Aerosols
Abstract Nitrosamines are a class of chemical compounds with the general structure containing N-NO functional group attached to the amine nitrogen and they have been suspected as prime urban carcinogens during the last decades. Nitrosamines in the atmosphere can be emitted from primary emission sources including industrial use, vehicular exhaust, tobacco smoke and cooking. In addition, nitrosamines are produced from the atmospheric reactions such as dark reactions indicating nitrosation under the humid condition and photochemical reactions initiated with OH radical. The ambient levels of nitrosamines have been rarely reported in spite of their detrimental health effects, since the ambient concentrations of nitrosamines have been assumed to be low due to the rapid removal process. Thus, the ambient levels and main contributors producing nitrosamines in the atmosphere over Seoul should be investigated.
Five nitrosamines (nitroso-methyl-ethylamine (NMEA), nitrosodi-ethylamine (NDEA), nitroso-pyrrolidine (NPYR), nitroso-piperidine (NPIP), and nitrosodi-butylamine (NDBA)) in the atmospheric particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to a nominal 10 μm (PM10) at Seoul were identified and quantified by using a gas chromatography (GC) coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS) in chemical ionization (CI) mode. The ambient concentrations of nitrosamines show distinctive seasonal and diurnal patterns; higher in winter (2.79±3.04 ng/m3) than in summer (1.13±2.63 ng/m3) and slightly higher in night time (1.89±3.81 ng/m3) than day time (1.57±3.81 ng/m3). In this study, the main contributors producing nitrosamines in the ambient atmosphere will be identified using statistical tools such as correlation and PCF (principal component factor) analysis based on the seasonal and diurnal concentrations trends of nitrosamines.