An investigation of interurban variations in the chemical composition and mutagenic activity of airborne particulate organic matter using an integrated chemical class/bioassay system

Previous investigations in this laboratory have demonstrated that the mutagenic activities of extractable particulate organic matter (EOM) from cities which differ in their principal fuels and meteorology can vary significantly. To gain a better understanding of these interurban variations, an Integrated Chemical Class/Biological Screening System was developed and used for a more detailed examination of differences in the chemical composition and mutagenic activity of EOM. The screening system involved coupling in situ Ames mutagenicity determinations on high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) plates with class specific chemical analyses on a second set of plates. The system was used to screen for mutagenic activity and selected chemical classes (including PAH, nitro-PAH, phenols, carboxylic acids, carbonyls, aza-arenes and alkylating agents) in EOM from the following sites: New York City; Elizabeth, N.J.; Mexico City; Beijing, China; Philadelphia, PA; and the Caldecott Tunnel (CA).The results of this study demonstrated mutagenic activity and chemical compositional differences in HPTLC subfractions of particulate organic matter from these cities and from the Caldecott Tunnel. The greatest interurban differences in chemical classes were observed for the phenols, carbonyl compounds and alkylating agents. Interurban variations in mutagenic activities were greatest for EOM subfractions of intermediate polarity. These differences are probably related to interurban differences in the fuels used, types of sources and atmospheric conditions. The relationships between these variables are not well understood at present.