Abstract
A highly sensitive method was developed for the analysis of some carcinogenic nitroarenes in airborne particulates. This method consists of ultrasonic extraction, liquid-liquid partition, normal phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), chemical reduction by Na SH, and reverse phase HPLC-fluorometry. Six carcinogenic nitroarenes can be analysed with the following detection limit: 1 pg for 1, 6-dinitropyrene (1, 6-DNP), 2 pg for 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), 1, 3-DNP and 1, 8-DNP, 4 pg for 2-nitrofluorene (2-NF) and 40 pg for 3-nitrofluoranthene (3-NFR). Five carcinogenic nitroarenes were found in airborne particulates in Tokyo air. Their concentrations were in the range of 14.8-134 pg/m3 for 1-NP, 0.33-8.74 pg/m3 for 1, 6-DNP, ND-6.58 pg/m3 for 1, 8-DNP, ND-4.66 pg/m3 for 1, 3-DNP and ND-27.2 pg/m3 for 2-NF.
