Spatial and temporal variations of nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in P_{2.5 aerosols in Yangtze River Delta Region, China}

Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) are of great interest because of their high potential mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. PM2.5 aerosol campaigns were carried out for four seasons from December 2007 to January 2009 in Xujiahui, Baoshan and Lin’an in Yangtze River Delta Region, China. Nine nitro-PAHs were detected, the average seasonal concentrations for three sampling sites ranging between 0.17–879 pg m−3. 2-Nitrofluoranthene was the most abundant nitro-PAH, accounting for 54% of the total nitro-PAH concentration, followed by 9-nitroanthracene, 3-nitrophenanthrene and 7-nitrobenz(a)anthracene, about 15%, 16% and 10%, respectively. There were good correlation between mass concentrations of PM2.5 and the total concentrations of nitro-PAHs from samples in Xujiahui, R2 = 0.76, and Baoshan, R2 = 0.60; yet, a poor correlation in Lin’an, R2 = 0.44.