Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are composed of two or more fused rings. PAHs result from an incomplete combustion in which a hydrocarbon reacts with an unknown amount of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and unwanted by-products: carbon monoxide and PAHs. Exposure to PAHs are prevalent in forest fires, tar, car exhaust, and smoke. They are detrimental to our health due to their carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic properties. PAHs are inherent in particulate matter (PM); particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. Due to their toxic effects, it is important to qualify PMs. We propose the bio-monitoring of PAHs through pine tree leaves from the Italian Blue Cyprus tree in two areas: near the I-405 Freeway and on the Mount Saint Mary’s University campus. PAHs were extracted via a continuous Soxhlet extraction and analyzed by the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (GCMS). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard was used to compose a Selected Ion Monitoring (SIM) table, used as reference to search for the 16 most common PAHs present. Through a series of calculations, the concentration of PAHs and PM values reported by the EPA were graphed to illustrate a comparison. Since PAHs fall within particulate matter, a direct correlation between the concentration of PAHs and PM values reported was expected. Samples collected from the freeway and campus area show direct correlations with few discrepancies that can be linked to weather patterns. To confirm methodology accuracy, triplicates of our data were graphed. Analysis of the data confirmed that our campus location, on a hillside, displays higher levels of PAHs in comparison to the I-405 freeway. For future directions, we will analyze previous data acquired to finalize the quantification and qualification of PAHs and PM concentrations found within these areas. <br/> <br/>

Correlation study between particulate matter and PAH concentrations: Bio-monitoring of pine tree leaves

2019 Spring National Meeting

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