A review of techniques for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in air

We provide an extensive review of the common methodologies employed in the analysis of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The review focuses on gas-chromatography-based approaches, in the light of their universal application with excellent separation, resolution, and sensitivity.We first describe collection methods for airborne PAHs in the gas and particle phases. We then evaluate the efficiency of extraction techniques employed for separating target PAHs from sampling media, using conventional solvent-based and emerging thermal-desorption approaches.We also describe commonly employed analytical methods with respect to their applicability to PAHs in gas and particle phases, collected from diverse environmental settings. As an essential part of basic quality assurance, we examine each method with special emphasis on key parameters (e.g., limit of detection and reproducibility).Finally, we address the likely directions of methodological developments, their limitations, and the future prospects for PAH analysis.

► This research reviews the methodological choices for the analysis of PAH in air. ► GC-based applications are examined to assess solvent-based and –free sample collection. ► The essential components of the basic QA for the PAH determination are also described.