PAH Analysis Using Thermal Desorption GC–MS

Researchers at Universidad Miguel Hernandez (Elche, Spain) analyzed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aerosols using a thermal desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method. The technique uses less toxic organic solvents and involves less extraction time than traditional techniques for PAH analysis. They used an automatic thermal desorption GC–MS system to determine particle-bound PAHs, and found that the system could analyze either gaseous or particle-bound organic compounds without modification.