Assessing the Oxidative Potential of PAHs in Ambient PM2.5 using the DTT Consumption Assay

Abstract The oxidative potential (OP) of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to organic content, which includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The OP of 135 individual PAHs (including six subclasses) was measured using the dithiolthreitol (DTT) consumption assay. The DTT assay results were used to compute the concentration of each PAH needed to consume 50% of the DTT concentration in the assay (DTT50), and the reduction potential of the PAHs (ΔGrxn). Computed reduction potential results were found to match literature reduction potential values (r2 = 0.97), while DTT50 results had no correlations with the computed ΔGrxn values (r2