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Photochemical and thermal reactions of combustion-related particulate matter: a combined chemical and microbiological approach. Final report, May 1, 1982-April 30, 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5493309

It has been shown that extracts of respirable ambient particulate organic matter (POM) are strongly mutagenic in the Ames bacterial assay without microsomal activation. While the chemical compounds responsible for the direct mutagenicity of ambient POM have not been completely characterized, nitrated PAH, many of which are strong, direct mutagens, are present in ambient POM and combustion-generated emissions. The chemical transformations of several atmospherically relevant PAH and the formation of nitro-PAH have been experimentally investigated. The specific studies carried out have included: (1) investigation of the reactions of adsorbed PAH with gaseous dinitrogen pentoxide (N/sub 2/O/sub 5/) and ozone (O/sub 3/) in environmental chambers; (2) an investigation of the solution-phase reactions of N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ with fluoranthene; (3) the synthesis, identification and determination of the mutagenic properties of the isomeric nitrobenzo(a)pyrenes; (4) studies concerning the sampling and GC-MS analyses of the mononitro isomers of fluoranthene and pyrene and dinitrofluoranthenes; and (5) investigations of the kinetics and products of the gas-phase reactions of PAH with N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ and with the hydroxyl (OH) radical. The kinetic, mechanistic and product data obtained from these studies show that the gas-phase reactions of N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ at night and the OH radical during daylight hours with the lower molecular weight PAH can be highly important, both as atmospheric loss processes for these PAH and as formation routes to several of the directly mutagenic mononitro-PAH observed in ambient POM.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Riverside (USA). Statewide Air Pollution Research Center
DOE Contract Number:
AS03-79EV10048
OSTI ID:
5493309
Report Number(s):
DOE/EV/10048-T1; ON: DE86011946
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English