Describes a measurement method for the determination of the particle bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[j]fluoranthene (BjF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBahA), indeno[1,2,3-cd] pyrene (INP) and benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) in ambient air, which can be used in the framework of Council Directive 2008/50/EC and Directive 2004/107/EC.

This Technical Specification specifies a measurement method for the determination of the particle bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[j]fluoranthene (BjF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBahA), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (INP) and benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) in ambient air, which can be used in the framework of Council Directive 2008/50/EC [10] and Directive 2004/107/EC [11]. This document specifies performance characteristics and performance criteria for this measurement method. The performance characteristics of the measurement method are based on a sampling period of 24 h.

This Technical Specification describes a measurement method which comprises sampling of the selected PAH compounds as part of the PM10 particles, sample extraction and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detector (FLD) or by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). The method is applicable for the measurement of the PAH compounds in the concentration range from approx. 0,04 ng/m³ to approximately 20 ng/m³ for BaA, BbF, BjF, BkF, BaP, INP and BghiP and 0,02 ng/m³ to approximately 2 ng/m³ for DBahA. Table 1 shows examples for concentrations of the compounds (annual mean values) for sampling sites with different characteristics.

The lower limit of the applicable range depends on the noise level of the detector and the variability of the laboratory filter blank.