Isolation and identification of mutagenic nitro-pah in diesel-exhaust particulates

More than 50 nitro-PAH have been tentatively identified in an extract of diesel-exhaust particulates. Identifications are based on high-resolution mass spectrometry of directly mutagenic fractions derived from sequential fractionation of the extract by both low- and high-resolution liquid chromatography. The diversity of nitro-PAH tentatively identified suggests that large numbers of such compounds are formed during or following the combustion process.