LARGE AND SMALL-PARTICLE SIZE SCREENING OF ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS IN URBANAIR

A gas chromatographic (GC)-mass spectrometric (MS) study of the large (> 7.2 mum) and small (<0.5 mum) particle fractions of aerosols collec ted in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) has allowed the identification of the major sources of airborne organic matter in urban environments. Th e extracts have been column chromatography separated in three fraction s encompassing aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons + semi-po lar compounds, and polar products. The whole analytical procedure has allowed the identification of 186 molecular species that have been gro uped according to their precursors. The study has also afforded the ch aracterization of organic source-particle size associations as well as the effects of seasonality on the occurrence of the compounds identif ied.