Determination of saccharides in atmospheric aerosol using anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography and pulsed-amperometric detection

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A Vol. 1171; no. 1; pp. 37 - 45
• Main Authors: Caseiro, Alexandre, Marr, Iain L., Claeys, Magda, Kasper-Giebl, Anne, Puxbaum, Hans, Pio, Casimiro A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 09.11.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aerosols - analysis; Aerosols - chemistry; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollutants - chemistry; Analysis methods; Analytical chemistry; Anion Exchange Resins - chemistry; Applied sciences; Arabitol; Atmospheric aerosols; Atmospheric pollution; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Chromatography, Ion Exchange - methods; Electrochemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Galactose - chemistry; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - methods; Levoglucosan; Mannose - chemistry; Monosaccharides - chemistry; Monosaccharides - isolation & purification; Other chromatographic methods; Pollution; Saccharides; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization - methods; Sugars; Levoglucosan; Arabitol; Sugars; Saccharides; Atmospheric aerosols; Ose; Chemical analysis; Aldose; Ketose; Air quality; Air; Disaccharide; Ion exchange chromatography; Electrochemical detector; Suspended particle; Alditol; Amperometry; Aerosols; Anion exchanger; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2007.09.038

An improved method is described for the quantification of primary sugars, sugar alcohols and anhydrosugars in atmospheric aerosols, making use of separation by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD). Quartz fibre filters from high-volume samplers were extracted with water and the extract injected directly. Repeatability is typically 4% RSD, for e.g. levoglucosan at 50 ng m −3 in air, better for winter levels around 700 ng m −3. Limits of detection for individual sugars are in the range 0.02–0.05 μg mL −1 in solution, corresponding to 2–5 ng m −3 from a 20 m 3 air sample. The overlap of arabitol and levogluocosan is overcome by using a Dionex PA-1 column, with appropriate control of eluent composition, and peak deconvolution software, allowing quantification of both sugars in difficult summer samples containing low-levels of levoglucosan. Analysis of a set of ambient aerosol samples by both GC-flame ionization detection and HPAEC-PAD shows good agreement. The new method has the advantage of requiring no sample pretreatment or derivatization and is thus well suited to handling large numbers of samples.