Abstract
The method for the sampling and determination of azaarenes in ambient air was investigated. An ambient air samples collected on a glass fiber filter and Amberlite XAD-4 resin by high volume air sample was extracted with 150 ml of benzene in Soxhlet extractors for 8 hours. The benzene extractable compounds were concentrated with Kuderna-Danish concentrator and the basic fraction extracted with 1 N hydrochloric acid. In the basic fraction, 13 azaarene species were identified by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and determined by using fused silica capillary column gas chromatography/NPFID. Collection efficiencies were obtained by adding azaarenes standard on a glass fiber filter and drawing through the ambient air at approximately 700l/min for 24 hours. It was observed that azaarenes were mainly absorbed on resin. Collection efficiencies were 83.4-93.8% for XAD-4, 75.6-97.8% for XAD-7 and 43.9-98.3% for Florisil. Azaarenes were efficiently collected on XAD-4 resin.
By this method, azaarenes in ambient air were measured in the Kitakyushu district and found to be in the range of 0.10-7.34 ng/m3.
