Abstract

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to cigarette smoke is well known. It is also known that PAHs are not inherent components of tobacco. Their presence in cigarette smoke results from the curing process of tobacco leaves used for the fabrication of cigarettes and the incomplete combustion of tobacco during the smoking process. The two chromatographic versions of EPA method 610 are popular approaches for the analysis of PAHs in a wide variety of samples. This method, which is based either on High-Performance Liquid-Chromatography (HPLC) or Gas-Chromatography (GC) has shown the presence of Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in tobacco samples and cigarette smoke. B[a]P is the most toxic PAH in the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutant list. Herein, we apply the HPLC Method 610 to the analysis of ten PAHs of MM 302 Da. In the presence of the 15 EPA-PAHs, co-elution was observed between Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene/Naphtho[2,3-k]fluoranthene and Benzo[a]pyrene/Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene. The extent of our literature search reveals no publications on the capabilities of Method 610 to measure Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) in tobacco samples and cigarette smoke. This PAH is approximately one hundred times more toxic than B[a]P. Our studies demonstrate the feasibility to directly determine the four co-eluting PAHs in chromatographic fractions without further separation. Their unambiguous determination is based on spectral and lifetime information with a two-step experimental procedure consisting of the evaporation of the chromatographic fraction followed by the dissolution of the residue with microliters of n-octane. Limits of detection at the parts-per-billion concentration level (ng.mL-1) were obtained from microliter sample volumes via Laser Excited Time Resolved Shpol'skii Spectroscopy.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2023

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Campiglia, Andres

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Chemistry

Degree Program

Chemistry

Identifier

CFE0009503; DP0027506

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027506

Language

English

Release Date

May 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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Included in

Chemistry Commons

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