"Extraction and Quantification of Hopanes and Steranes in Urban Particulate Matter Standard Reference Material 1649a"

The following report begins with the topic of Fossil Fuel Biomarkers and how these compounds can be of help when attempting to determine the sources and extent of air pollution. Two biomarker classes, hopanes and steranes, are integral in tracing the presence and source of one major area of air pollutants: vehicular petroleum combustion. The Environmental Protection Agency is concerned with keeping PM10 and, more recently, PM2.5 at an acceptable standard according to human health. However, recent studies show that even smaller particles called ultrafine particles are equally if not more hazardous to human health. Fossil fuel biomarkers can be utilized in atmospheric studies as a correlational tool to trace all three classes of particulate matter. It is important to determine an exact method of extraction of these organic compounds from air sample so their concentrations may be used to their utmost potential. The literature has been explored for different methods of extraction as well as different methods of data interpretation so that a singularly effective method for quantificationa and analysis can be attempted in quantifying hopane and sterane concentrations in NIST SRM1649a.