Detemination of Organic Tracers from Biomass Burning Emissions by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A fast analytical method for organic tracers from biomass burning emissions including levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan was developed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) without derivatization process. The optimum analytical conditions were established as follows: ammonium hydroxide (0. 005%, w/V) as mobile phase with a flow rate of 0. 35 mL/min, column temperature of 45., and negative ion electrospray ionization. Under the optimal analytical conditions, the linear concentration ranges of these organic tracers were 0. 01-1 mg/L (R-2 > 0. 999) and limits of detection (LOD) were 1. 8 mu g/L for levoglucosan, 5. 8 mu g/L for mannosan and 9. 5 mu g/L for galactosan, respectively. This new method was validated and applied to the detection of real aerosol samples, and was proved to be accurate, fast and sensitive for analysis of organic tracers from biomass burning emissions.