Dispersive solid-phase extraction clean up combined with Soxhlet extraction for the determination of 16 PAHs in soil samples by GC-MS

ABSTRACT

Dichloromethane soil samples extracts were prepared using Soxhlet extraction technique, and after clean-up step, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was carried out. A comparison of dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) and column chromatography (cC), as clean-up techniques, was evaluated. Six different sorbents (silica, diatomaceous earth, primary–secondary amine, C18, clinoptilolite and florisil) were tested as dispersive clean-up sorbents versus activated silica and alumina for cC. Best results for three concentration levels among dSPE were obtained using diatomaceous earth, with recovery values in the range of 75–112% for 13 of 16 analysed compounds, while cC recoveries were in the range of 75–111% for all analysed PAHs. Analysis of 12 soil samples from urban area of Niš (Serbia) singled out acenaphthene as the most abundant compound.

KEYWORDS:

• PAH
• soil
• dSPE
• Soxhlet extraction

Acknowledgement

The research was supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia [OI 172047, TR 34012].