Quantitative analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in atmospheric particles

There are a number of difficulties associated with the quantitative analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in atmospheric particles. Therefore, majority of the previous studies on VOCs associated with particles have been qualitative. Air samples were collected in Izmir, Turkey to determine ambient particle and gas phase concentrations of several aromatic, oxygenated and halogenated VOCs. Samples were quantitatively analyzed using thermal desorption–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Gas-phase concentrations ranged between 0.02 (bromoform) and 4.65 μg m−3 (toluene) and were similar to those previously measured at the same site. Particle-phase concentrations ranged from 1 (1,3-dichlorobenzene) to 933 pg m−3 (butanol). VOCs were mostly found in gas-phase (99.9±0.25%). However, the particulate VOCs had comparable concentrations to those reported previously for semivolatile organic compounds. The distribution of particle-phase VOCs between fine (dp<2.5 μm) and coarse (2.5 μm