Title
Offline thermal-desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry to study composition of organic aerosol
Author
Timkovsky, J.
Dusek, U.
Henzing, J.S.
Kuipers, T.L.
Röckmann, T.
Holzinger, R.
Publication year
2015
Abstract
We present a novel approach to study the organic composition of aerosol filter samples using thermal-desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (TD-PTR-MS) in the laboratory. The method is tested and validated based on the comparison with in situ TD-PTR-MS measurements. In general, we observe correspondence within the levels of uncertainty between in situ and offline TD-PTR-MS measurements for compounds desorbing at temperatures above 100. °C and for quartz fiber filters that were sampled for more than one day. Positive sampling artifacts (50-80%, with respect to the in situ measurements) from adsorption of semivolatile organic gas phase compounds are apparent on filters sampled for one day. Detailed chemical analysis shows that these positive sampling artifacts are likely caused by primary emissions that have not been strongly oxidized. Negative sampling artifacts (7-35%, with respect to the in situ measurements) are observed for most filters sampled for two and three days, and potentially caused by incomplete desorption of aerosols (in particular, nitrogen-containing organics) from the filters during the offline measurements and chemical reactions on the filters. Chemicals/CAS: nitrogen, 7727-37-9; oxygen, 7782-44-7; silicon dioxide, 10279-57-9, 14464-46-1, 14808-60-7, 15468-32-3, 60676-86-0, 7631-86-9
Subject
Earth / Environmental
CAS - Climate, Air and Sustainability
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Urban Development
Environment
Built Environment
Artifacts
Composition
Measurements
Organic aerosol
Measurements
Artifacts
Proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometries
Chemical analysis
hydrocarbon
nitrogen
oxygen
adsorption
aerosol composition
artifact
Desorption
mass spectrometry
air sampling
chemical analysis
comparative study
mass spectrometry
molecular weight
thermal desorption proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:766e12a2-cc2b-4dcf-a51e-6c1d707c785d
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2014.08.010
TNO identifier
519657
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
ISSN
0021-8502
Source
Journal of Aerosol Science, 79, 1-14
Document type
article