Optimization of Supercritical Fluid Extraction for the Quantitative Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil Samples

Abstract

A method optimization study is conducted in which the influence of three variables on the recovery of spiked PAHs out of a soil are investigated through a linear factorial design. The study allows estimation of the main effect of the three variables. A statistical significance of any of these effects is carried out. The results from the preliminary method optimation experiments indicate that the five studied PAH can be separated in two groups corresponding to relatively volatile and relatively non volatile. For the first group, recovery is most affected by temperature and for the second, the density and the composition of supercritical fluid extraction are the more important variables. A Principal Component Analysis allowed us to define 2 extraction protocols depending on the molecular weight of PAHs. The global extractive method is carried out to compare the performance of the Soxhlet extraction and the SFE.

Key Words:

• SFE
• PAHs
• contaminated soils