Overlooked Trace Molecules in Organic Aerosol Revealed by Gas Chromatography–Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

Molecular characterization of organic aerosol (OA) is crucial for understanding its sources and atmospheric processes. However, the chemical components of OA remain not well constrained. This study used gas chromatography–Orbitrap mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap MS) and GC-Quadrupole MS (GC-qMS) to investigate the organic composition in PM 2.5 from Xi’an, Northwest China. GC-Orbitrap MS identified 335 organic tracers, including overlooked isomers and low-concentration molecules, approximately 1.6 times more than GC-qMS. The “molecular corridor” assessment shows the superior capability of GC-Orbitrap MS in identifying an expansive range of compounds with higher volatility and oxidation states, such as furanoses/pyranoses, di/hydroxy/ketonic acids, di/poly alcohols, aldehydes/ketones, and amines/amides. Seasonal variations in OA composition reflect diverse sources: increased di/poly alcohols in winter are derived from indoor emissions, furanoses/pyranoses and heterocyclics in spring and summer might be from biogenic emissions and secondary formation, and amides in autumn are probably from biomass burning. Integrating partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and potential source contribution function (PSCF) models, the source similarities and differences are further elucidated, highlighting the role of local emissions and transport from southern cities. This study offers new insights into the OA composition aided by the high mass resolution and sensitivity of GC-Orbitrap MS.