Determination of Alkylphenols in Atmospheric Fine Particulates in Taiyuan and Guangzhou based on atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

• Published in: Atmospheric environment (1994) Vol. 309; p. 119928
• Main Authors: Wang, Fangjie, Chen, Xiaoning, Li, Huichen, Huang, Bowen, He, Yu, Cai, Zongwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.09.2023
• Subjects: Alkylphenols; Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS); Contamination profile; Health risk assessment; PM2.5; Pollution characteristic; Pollution characteristic; Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS); Health risk assessment; Contamination profile; Alkylphenols; PM2.5
• ISSN: 1352-2310; 1873-2844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.119928

The interest in the contaminants in PM2.51 (PMs with a diameter of <2.5 μm) has increased because of its potential adverse effects on human health. In this study, seven alkylphenols (APs), which are a typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), were measured by atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS). The methods were successfully applied to analyze the PM2.5 samples collected from Taiyuan and Guangzhou. The total concentration of seven APs was 700.58 pg m−3 in Guangzhou and 916.12 pg m−3 in Taiyuan. The dominant PM2.5-bound APs were 4-pentylphenol (4-PeP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), and 2-6-di-tert-butyl-4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol (BHT-OH). Meanwhile, a higher concentration of APs was observed in Taiyuan during spring and winter, according with obvious seasonal variation. The presence of APs in air samples from Guangzhou was primarily attributed to human activities. Furthermore, estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of APs via ambient inhalation were calculated for different age groups to evaluate human exposure risk, which revealed that the worst-case EDI for children was 61.29 pg kgbw−1 day−1, indicating that the presence of APs in the atmospheric environment should not be underestimated. [Display omitted] •The novel APGC-MS/MS method was firstly developed to measure and analyze 7 APs in PM2.5.•The detailed contamination profiles of PM2.5-bound APs in Guangzhou and Taiyuan were firstly studied.•Coal and fossil fuel combustion, vehicular emissions were identified as the major APs sources.