Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference
October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota
Determination of characteristic pollen markers using EGA-MS and Microscopy following Sequential Solvent Washing
Nafisa
Bala
Doctoral Student
University of North Dakota
Co-authors: Mason Clobes, Graduate student, University of North Dakota, Dr. Katerina Sklenickova, Post doctoral fellow, University of North Dakota, Kiera Ramirez, Undergraduate student, California State University San Marcos, Christian Cornejo, Undergraduate student, California State University, Bakersfield , Dr. Hallie Chelmo, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering University of North Dakota, Dr. Alena Kubatova Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of North Dakota
Session
Concurrent Presentation Session C, Group 2
Sahnish Room
Pollen has been identified as a significant contributor to airborne particulate matter (PM), and studies have shown that despite pollen’s large size, sub-pollen particles are substantial contributors to PM2.5. Understanding the contribution and impact of pollen on air PM and organic carbon composition within is vital, as these sub-pollen particles can be transported over long distances, affecting health, cloud condensation, and agriculture; therefore, it is essential to understand its composition and investigate pollen's contribution to this process. A method involving careful extraction and analysis techniques to identify pollen markers that will enable the chemical speciation in organic carbonaceous PM, aiding in providing a comprehensive chemical composition of pollen, is being developed. In this study, both commercial and fresh pollen samples were prepared via the use of sequential solvent washing, a less aggressive approach impacting both hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions, followed by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate surface texture, and then analyzed first with evolved gas analysis with mass spectrometry identification (EGA-MS) to obtain thermal profiles of each fraction before analysis using thermal desorption-pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-Py-GC-MS) with and without derivatization, aiming to obtain different fingerprint profiles for the chemical characterization of pollen, aiding in profiling both volatile and non-volatile carbonaceous organics in air PM.