Size-Distribution Pattern of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Airborne Particulates

Abstract
An investigation of the size distribution of the total suspended particulates according to their aerodynamic diameter was carried out in a large Canadian city during the autumn-winter-spring of 1972–73. The particulates collected in each stage of an Andersen sampler were extracted and analyzed for their Benzo[a]Pyrene (BaF)and Benzo[k]Fluoranthene (BkF) content. The relationship between the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon content of the particulates and their aerodynamic diameter was determined and it was found that the majority of the PAH may be associated with submicron particles and thus are deposited deep in the alveoli of the respiratory tract. The mass median diameters for both BaP and BkF as determined in this study were smaller than 1 micrometre. This would indicate the importance of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon content associated with small particles.