Pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with electron-ionization or resonance-enhanced-multi-photon-ionization for characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Baltic Sea

• Gas chromatography setup with two mass selective detectors applying different ionization methods.
• Pyrolysis: High molecular aromatic structures are accessible.
• In parallel structural information and sensitive detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
• Influence of industrial development on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), as a part of dissolved organic matter (DOM), are environmental pollutants of the marine compartment. This study investigates the origin of PAH, which is supposed to derive mainly from anthropogenic activities, and their alteration along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea. Pyrolysis in combination with gas chromatography and two mass selective detectors in one measurement cycle are utilized as a tool for an efficient trace analysis of such complex samples, by which it is possible to detect degradation products of high molecular structures. Along the north–south transect of the Baltic Sea a slightly rising trend for PAH is visible. Their concentration profiles correspond to the ship traffic as a known anthropogenic source, underlined by the value of special isomer ratios such as phenanthrene and anthracene (0.31–0.45) or pyrene and fluoranthene (0.44–0.53). The detection of naphthalene and the distribution of its alkylated representatives support this statement.