Analysis of nitro-PAHs in diesel exhaust particulate extracts with multicolumn HPLC

Summary A method is described for the determination of nitrated polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs), in particular 1-nitropyrene, in diesel particulate extracts. The method employs a multidimensional HPLC (column switching) technique with final on-line peak identification by UV-VIS spectral comparison with standards. To achieve exceptional chromatographic selectivity for nitro-PAHs, a new pyrene butyric acid amide phase has been prepared which is capable of forming donor-acceptor complexes with them. With this technique it is possible to confirm the presence of 1-nitropyrene in the range 3–100 ng/mg on filter-collected diesel soot. Its utility was demonstrated with diesel exhaust extracts spiked with varying levels of 1-nitropyrene and proved to be highly selective.Parts of this work have been presented at the 15th International Symposium on Chromatography, Nürnberg, October 1984.Dedicated to Prof. J. F. K. Huber at the occasion of his 60th birthday.