Analytical Sciences

Determination of Atmospheric Nitrobenzanthrones by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Chemiluminescence Detection

Ning TANG,* Rina TAGA,* Tetsuyuki HATTORI,** Kenji TAMURA,*** Akira TOROBA,** Ryoichi KIZU,*^,** and Kazuichi HAYAKAWA*^,** 

*Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University,13-1, Takara-machi, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
**Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1, Takara-machi, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
***National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan

A method using high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection was developed for analyzing mutagenic nitrobenzanthrone (NBA) isomers in airborne particulates. The method was a modification of our previously described method for analyzing nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs). The pretreatment and reducing conditions for 1-, 2-, 3- and 10-NBAs were the same as those for NPAHs. In order to separate these NBA isomers, we used a polymeric-type ODS column (Cosmosil 5C-18MS); a mixture of 40% acetonitrile and 60% 10 mM imidazole-HClO₄ buffer was employed as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The isomers of 1-, 2-, 3- and 10-NBA were determined in chemiluminescence with linear calibration graphs from 0.1 to 4 pmol, from 200 to 4000 pmol, from 1 to 50 pmol and from 10 to 400 pmol, respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) of 1-, 2-, 3- and 10-NBA isomers were 0.02 pmol, 35 pmol, 0.3 pmol and 3 pmol, respectively. The method was used to analyze airborne particulates at a heavy traffic site in Kanazawa. 2- and 3-NBAs were detected in the extracts of the particulates, while 1-NBA and 10-NBA were not detected. The atmospheric concentrations of 2- and 3-NBAs were 1.83 pmol/m³ and 24.7 fmol/m³, respectively.

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