Chemical Structural Characteristics of HULIS and Other Fractionated Organic Matter in Urban Aerosols: Results from Mass Spectral and FT-IR Analysis

Environ Sci Technol. 2016 Feb 16;50(4):1721-30. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05277. Epub 2016 Feb 1.

Abstract

The chemical characteristics of complex organic matter in atmospheric aerosols remain poorly understood. Water-insoluble organic matter (WISOM) and water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) in the total suspended particulates collected in the city of Nagoya in summer/early autumn and winter were extracted using multiple solvents. Two fractions of humic-like substances, showing neutral and acidic behavior (HULIS-n and HULIS-a, respectively), and the remaining highly polar part (HP-WSOM) were fractionated from WSOM using solid phase extraction. The chemical structural characteristics and concentrations of the organic matter were investigated using mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. WISOM and HULIS-n had low O/C ratios (0.1 and 0.4, respectively) and accounted for a large fraction of the organics in aerosols (70%). HULIS-a and HP-WSOM had higher O/C ratios (0.7 and 1.0, respectively), and their concentrations in summer and early autumn were on average ∼2 times higher than those in winter. The mass spectrum and FT-IR analyses suggest the following: (1) WISOM were high-molecular-weight aliphatics (primarily C27-C32) with small proportions of -CH3, -OH, and C═O groups; (2) HULIS-n was abundant in aliphatic structures and hydroxyl groups (primarily C9-C18) and by branched structures; (3) HULIS-a and HP-WSOM contained relatively large amounts of low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids and alcohols (primarily C4-C10); and (4) WISOM and HULIS-n were relatively abundant in amines and organic nitrates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / analysis*
  • Aerosols / chemistry*
  • Air Pollution / analysis*
  • Cities
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods
  • Humic Substances
  • Japan
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Organic Chemicals / analysis
  • Particulate Matter / analysis*
  • Seasons
  • Solid Phase Extraction
  • Solubility
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Humic Substances
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Particulate Matter
  • Water