METHOD FOR THE DETECTION AND RAPID QUANTIFICATION OF ATMOSPHERIC PARTICULATES IN A SAMPLE AND/OR OF THE OXIDATIVE POWER

摘要

The present invention relates to a method and a relative device for the detection and quantification of atmospheric particulate matter and/or of its oxidative potential in a sample. The method is characterized by the following steps: - collection of a sample of ambient particulate air matter, - treatment of such a sample of atmospheric particulate matter with an organic solvent to obtain a solution or a suspension, - reaction of said solution or said suspension or a fraction thereof with a reducing agent in operating conditions in a manner to form at least one oxidizing species, - measurement of a variation of a property correlated to the concentration of, at least one, oxidizing species formed in the reaction medium, said variation of a property resulting from consumption by chemical reaction of said at least one oxidizing species by a detecting substance or resulting from interaction of said at least one oxidizing species with a detection substance, - determination of the content of atmospheric particulate matter and/or of the oxidative potential of said sample by comparing the measured value of said property variation in the reaction medium with at least one known value of the same property of at least one sample or derivative thereof having a known content of particulate material and/or with a scale of values related to the oxidative potential of a substance or molecule known for its oxidant ability, such as hydrogen peroxide.