Improvements in analysis of atmospheric peroxyacetyl nitrate -PAN-

Common analytical techniques for PAN determination were modified in order to obtain a sensitive and automatic analysis system. PAN was synthesized by nitration of peracetic acid in hexane. The PAN hexane solution was purified by water extraction. The quantification was performed determining acetate or nitrite by ion chromatography following alkaline hydrolysis. The validity was checked by liquid i.r. spectroscopy. NMR studies revealed a singulet signal at 2.27 ppm. The precision and sensitivity of the gas chronomatographic analyses were improved by the use of wide bore capillary columns coated with Carbowax 400. The developed system enables automatic and continuous PAN measurements at a 10 min sampling sequence and with a detection limit of 50 ppt.