Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis of benzo[a]pyrene in coal tar and related products

Direct quantitative fluorescence spectroscopic analysis of benzo[a]pyrene in coal tar, without sample fractionation, was shown to be valid by analysis of a standard reference coal tar (with certified concentrations for 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and a mixture of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of known concentration. This simple and rapid method was applied to the analysis of benzo[a]pyrene in coal-tar pitch, a coal-tar-derived heavy residual oil, coal-tar pitch fractions and the volatiles from heat treatment of pitch (both coal-tar and petroleum). However, high values were obtained for the analysis of perylene in the same samples due to the presence of benzo- and dibenzoperylenes with similar spectra to perylene.