Investigating the possibilities of capturing transport hydrophilic particles of SiO₂, adsorbed PAHs on their surface in a cyclonevortex water layer of atmospheric air

Agricultural Academy, Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technology, Department "Cryobiology and Biologically Active Substances", 1407 Sofia, 53 Cherni Vrah Blvd, Bulgaria

^* Corresponding author: aleksandar.valchkov@abv.bg

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of chemicals that are contained in coal, crude petrol or are synthesized during the burning of organic matter - food, wood, tobacco, etc. This group of substances are highly toxic to living organisms and represent a serious pollutant in nature. The aim of the present study is to investigate the possibility of trapping transport hydrophilic SiO₂ particles, which have adsorbed PAHs on their surface, in a cyclonic-eddy water layer of atmospheric air. The spectral absorption bands of 10 standard substances from the PAHs group were determined. The resulting calibration curves were used to determine the amount of detected substances in the water layer. 50 start-up cycles of the experience setting were conducted, distributed by 5 cycles for each individual substance. The obtained results prove that the degree of PAHs adsorption on the surface of SiO₂ nanoparticles is quite low and varies between 1.68 and 5.36%, and this also determines the low degree of capture of free molecules through the cyclone-vortex water layer of atmospheric air.