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A report released by UMEG of Karlsruhe, Germany, investigates the
retention of Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) on filters. BaP is a polyaromatic
hydrocarbon (PAH) that is considered to be mutagenic, and is present
in particulate form in ambient air.
Traditionally, scientists and air monitoring networks have assessed
the concentration of ambient BaP by collecting the substance on
a filter for analysis in a laboratory. This has been the practice
since BaP is generally considered to be one of the PAH species that
is in the particle phase.
In the project described in the June 2002 report by the UMEG, scientists
explored whether the presence of ozone in ambient air might have
an effect upon the quantity of BaP collected and/or retained on
traditional particle collection filters. The findings point to the
possibility that a significant portion of the airborne BaP may be
lost from collection filters in the presence of ambient ozone concentrations
that can be found in the world's largest cities.
The investigators at the UMEG carried out their work using R&P's
ChemComb Model 3500
Speciation Sampling Cartridge. For the collection of outdoor
samples, the cartridges were installed in the company's Partisol
Model 2300 Speciation Sampler.
R&P has developed an ozone stripper based on a ceramic catalyst
honeycomb denuder that is highly effective at stripping ozone from
the ambient air sampled by the ChemComb Cartridge. The new ChemComb
configuration provides a means of collecting particulate matter
from ambient air without encountering the cross-interferences from
ozone detailed in the UMEG report.
Click
here to download the English version of the UMEG report on the
ozone cross-sensitivity of BaP collected on filter media.
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Ozone Effects upon Filtered BaP 
