In-depth compositional analysis of water-soluble and -insoluble organic substances in fine (PM) airborne particles using ultra-high-resolution 15T FT-ICR MS and GC×GC-TOFMS.

Airborne particulate matter consisting of ionic species, salts, heavy metals and carbonaceous material is one of the most serious environmental pollutants owing to its impacts on the environment and human health. Although elemental and organic carbon compounds are known to be major components of aerosols, information on the elemental composition of particulate matter remains limited because of the broad range of compounds involved and the limits of analytical instruments. In this study, we investigated water-soluble and -insoluble organic compounds in fine (PM) airborne particles collected during winter in Korea to better understand the elemental compositions and distributions of these compounds.