Source apportionment of urban particulate aliphatic and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using multivariate methods

Environ Sci Technol. 2001 Jun 1;35(11):2288-94. doi: 10.1021/es001540z.

Abstract

Samples of organic aerosol were collected in Santiago de Chile. An activated-charcoal diffusion denuder was used to strip out organic vapors prior to particle collection. Both polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aliphatic hydrocarbons were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Organic particle sources were resolved using both concentration diagnostic ratios and multivariate methods such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and factor analysis (FA). Four factors were identified based on the loadings of PAHs and n-alkanes and were attributed to the following sources: (1) high-temperature combustion of fuels; (2) fugitive emissions from oil residues; (3) biogenic sources; and (4) unburned fuels. Multilinear regression (MLR) analysis was used to determine emission profiles and contributions of the sources. The reconstructed concentrations of particle phase aliphatic and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were in good agreement (R2 > 0.70) with those measured in Santiago de Chile.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols
  • Air Pollutants / analysis*
  • Cities
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Hydrocarbons / analysis*
  • Hydrocarbons / chemistry
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Particle Size
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / chemistry

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Air Pollutants
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons