The aim of this study was to source apportion non-polar Dissolved Organic Carbon (npDOCs)  to elucidate the provenance and sources of the selected npDOCs. The npDOCs in the precipitation were extracted using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) with Oasis® Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balanced (HLB) cartridges. The extracted npDOCs were then analysed using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-MS QqQ) to obtain the mass spectral data. Factor Analysis, more specifically Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF), was applied to the QqQ data obtained along with the PM10 data and also the angle of trajectory obtained from NOAA Air Mass Back Trajectory Analysis (AMBTA) generated from HYSPLIT model. With PMF, we could identify an appropriate number of factors and elucidate the sources for the different groups of selected npDOCs (4 factors for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, 7 factors for pesticides, 4 factors for Fungicides & 6 factors for Herbicides) by literature matching and studying the components of each factor. Identification of the npDOCs compounds in the precipitation by GCMS in combination with factor analysis provides a useful to evaluate the impact of atmospheric pollutants on air quality.

Elucidation of source components of dissolved organic compounds in precipitation samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and factor analysis

2019 Spring National Meeting

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