Determination of influencing factors on the benzo(a)pyrene analysis of filter samples.

As part of a federal-federal cooperation project, storage tests of PM10 filter samples for benzo(a)pyrene analysis (BaP) were carried out in cooperation with the Office of the Carinthian State Government. It has been established that if the samples are frozen to –18 °C, the storage period can be extended to up to one year in glass petri dishes. Another series of experiments was used to determine the influence of different solvents on the result of BaP analysis. The studies showed that the solvents Aceton:n-Hexan, Dichlormethan:Cyclohexan or toluene, in combination with ultrasound methods, are suitable for use in BaP analysis. The solvents n-hexane or cyclohexane led to minor findings in the analysis of the reference materials and in most of the filters.