Abstract

QUIJANO PARRA, Alfonso; QUIJANO VARGAS, Mónica Juliana  and  MELENDEZ GELVEZ, Iván. QUANTIFICATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) IN PARTICULATE MATTER PM_2.5 IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF PAMPLONA, COLOMBIA. Luna Azul [online]. 2015, n.40, pp.85-101. ISSN 1909-2474.  https://doi.org/10.17151/luaz.2015.40.7.

Air pollutants have been. and still are. the main factor that contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), asthma and cancer. Ozone, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter are air pollutants. Quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in samples of particulate matter breathable fraction PM_2.5 air of the city of Pamplona (Norte de Santander, Colombia) was performed in this study. Initially, organic material present in the particulate material PM_2.5 was extracted through ultrasound, followed by concentration through a rotary evaporator, obtaining the overall extract, part of which was subjected to a division process in a silica gel column, Finally four fractions were obtained. Quantification of PAHs present in the PM_2.5 particulate material, global extract and the four fractions was carried out in an Agilent 6890 gas chromatograph plus with FID detector. Among the HAPs identified the following are included: naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, benzo(a)anthracene, pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene and indene(1,2,3,cd-pyrene). These PAHs are toxic compounds, mutagenic and carcinogenic for animals and humans according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Keywords : Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; gas chromatography; PM_2.5; mutagens; vehicle emissions.

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