A Comparison of the Performance of Two Chromatographic and Three Extraction Techniques for the Analysis of PAHs in Sources of Drinking Water

• Published in: Journal of chromatographic science Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 57 - 62
• Main Authors: Díaz-Moroles, Nora E., Garza-Ulloa, Humberto J., Castro-Ríos, Rocío, Ramírez-Villarreal, Elsa G., Barbarín-Castillo, Juan M., dela Luz Salazar-Cavazos, María, Waksman-de Torres, Noemí
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Niles, IL Oxford University Press 01.02.2007; Preston Publications
• Subjects: Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination; Exact sciences and technology; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - methods; Natural water pollution; Pollution; Polycyclic Compounds - analysis; Polycyclic Compounds - isolation & purification; Reference Standards; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet - methods; Water Supply - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Drinking water; Solid phase extraction; Fluorescence detector; Chemical analysis; Hydrocarbon; Liquid liquid extraction; Coupled method; HPLC chromatography; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Solvent extraction; Chemical enrichment; Gas chromatography; Ultraviolet detector; Sample preparation; Extraction method; Surface water; Water quality; Lakes; Water pollution; Mass spectrometry; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0021-9665; 1945-239X
• DOI: 10.1093/chromsci/45.2.57

The aim of this work is to establish a sensitive and reliable method for the analysis of the 16 priority Environmental Protection Agency-defined polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in water samples. Gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorescence detection (FLD)-UV techniques are optimized to obtain an adequate resolution of all compounds. Validation of the methods is carried out, and a good performance is observed for both techniques. The HPLC-FLD-UV technique is somewhat more sensitive than the GC-MS technique for the determination of PAHs; thus, the HPLC-FLD-UV method is used to follow up both the solid-phase extraction (SPE) analysis using cartridges and discs and the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), which are also evaluated for the extraction of the PAHs. Low recoveries between 43% and 79% are obtained using SPE cartridges, and higher values are obtained using SPE discs (56-96%) and LLE (60-105%). Better results are obtained using the LLE technique, and, thus, analysis of real water samples is carried out using this technique. LODs between 0.6 and 21 ng/L and relative standard deviations less than 15% are obtained using a spiked water sample analyzed using the full LLE HPLC-FLD-UV method.