Volatilization Loss of 6 PAHs with 2–4 Rings Related to Coal Extracts

With 3 different bottles, the volatilities of 6 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), namely, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, which were used as model compounds of coal here, had been measured by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The results indicate that although these PAHs have a high boiling point (BP), some PAHs such as acenaphthylene and acenaphthene can be lost rapidly through volatilizing. Even pyrene, having a BP as high as 404°C, can also be lost by volatilizing for a longer period, such as 4 days or more. The volatilization loss of the PAHs is also related to the container. PAHs in wide-mouthed bottles will volatilize faster than in narrow-mouthed bottles. The volatilization loss of the PAHs and other compounds may lead to incorrect results in quantitatively analyzing them in coal extraction, if coal extracts are dried. So, the coal extracts by organic solvents should not be dried before measuring by GC/MS.