Concentration, size distribution and dry deposition of amines in atmospheric particles of urban Guangzhou, China

Abstract Size-segregated PM 10 samples were collected in Guangzhou, China during autumn of 2014. Nine amines, including seven aliphatic amines and two heterocyclic amines, were detected using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer after derivatization by benzenesulfonyl chloride. The total concentration of the nine amines (Ʃamines) was 79.6–140.9 ng m −3 in PM 10 . The most abundant species was methylamine (MA), which had a concentration of 29.2–70.1 ng m −3 . MA, dimethylamine (DMA), diethylamine (DEA) and dibutylamine (DBA) were the predominant amines in the samples and accounted for approximately 80% of Ʃamines in each size segment. Two heterocyclic amines, pyrrolidine (PYR) and morpholine (MOR), were detected in all samples and had average concentrations of 1.14 ± 0.37 and 1.89 ± 0.64 ng m −3 , respectively, in particles with aerodynamic diameters  10 were 7.9 ± 1.6 μg m −2 d −1 and 0.084 ± 0.0021 cm s −1 , respectively. The results of this study provide essential information on the contribution of amines to secondary organic aerosols and dry removal mechanisms in urban areas.