Ian Jokerst
Research Mentor(s): Stuart Batterman
Mentor Department: EHS
Authors: Ian Jokerst, Stuart Batterman
Session: Session 6 (3:00pm – 3:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 43
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants released in the burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, tobacco, and other substances. These compounds also can be released during the combustion of industrial waste. PAHs are ubiquitous, found in air, water, soil and food, and many PAH compounds are toxics and health hazards. This study seeks to analyze the PAH levels and the distribution of PAH sources with the long term goal to minimize health risks. An innovative sampling approach using passive sampling and pine needles is used. To obtain high quality results, the method must be optimized, including sample preparation and instrumental techniques. In preliminary experiments, the internal standard could not be detected, high levels of low molecular weight PAHs were found suggesting contamination, and the recovery of high molecular weight PAHs was inconsistent. Several variants of extraction and clean-up were tested, with the most promising results coming from ultrasonic extraction followed by alumina cartridge clean-up. These results indicate the importance of thorough cleaning and quality assurance, specifically when attempting to extract and quantify semi-volatile to volatile organic compounds from complex matrices.
