Nontargeted Analysis Reveals Organic Compounds That Drive Oxidative Potential in Ambient Particulate Matter
Anna Breuninger, Alexander Schmidt, Florian Ungeheuer, Lingli Zhou, Jialiang Ma, Sarah S. Steimer, Alexander L. Vogel
TL;DR
This study identifies organic compounds in air pollution that contribute to oxidative potential, a key factor in health impacts.
Contribution
The study reveals new organic compounds, including unknown quinones, that drive oxidative potential in particulate matter.
Findings
Key compounds like C9H6O6 and C9H8O4 are linked to oxidative potential from aromatic precursors.
Phthalic acid and nitrosalicylic acid are identified as contributors to oxidative potential.
Metal removal showed organic compounds alone can reach up to 4 nmol DTT min–1 m–3 oxidative potential.
Abstract
Air pollution adversely affects human health, with studies consistently linking it to exposure to particulate matter. However, differential toxicity remains to be established to improve monitoring and mitigation efforts. This study examines the oxidative potential (OP) of fine particulate matter using the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay as a proxy for toxicity. We analyzed 42 ambient particle filter samples from Frankfurt, Germany, and Beijing, China, focusing on water-soluble organic compounds. The aqueous extracts were analyzed for metal content via inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and for organic compounds through ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry. Utilizing a chelating agent to remove metals allowed separation of the effects of bulk aerosol and organics only. A hierarchical cluster analysis identified key compounds linked to OP,…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAir Quality and Health Impacts · Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols · Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact