Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil by Miniaturized Ultrasonic Extraction and Gas Chromatography‐Mass Selective Detection

Abstract

A miniaturized ultrasonic extraction procedure was developed for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. After determination of the most suitable extraction solvent with 5 min sonication time, several other parameters (sample amount, solvent volume and number of extraction times) were optimized using a 2 3 factorial experimental design. Recoveries of PAHs from spiked soil samples were over 90% for three different fortification levels between 50 and 300 lg/kg, and relative standard deviations of the recoveries were in the range of a 1 -15%. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 1.87 lg/kg. The performance of the developed procedure was also compared with other traditional Soxhlet, shake flask and large scale ultrasonic extraction procedures on real soil samples, and extraction methods showed comparable efficiencies. The proposed procedure required small volumes of solvent and sample. It was practicable, rapid and easy to use for analysis of PAHs in soils.

Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk Due to Accidental Ingestion of PAHs in Contaminated Soils

“…Although PAHs are ubiquitous in the environment, soils heavily contaminated with PAHs are often associated with the use and disposal of petroleum-containing materials or their derivatives (e.g., from wood preserving or oil recycling) [2]. Most PAHs in soil come from air via wet and dry deposition, and they accumulate in soils due to their hydrophobicity and low water solubility [1]. In addition, PAHs enter the surface water through discharges from industrial plants and are released to soils due to their leaching from above or underground storage tanks [3].…”

“…Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) consist of two or more benzene rings joined together and comprise a group of ubiquitous environmental contaminants that originate from different emission sources, mainly associated with human activities, such as the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, industrial processes, or the use of motor vehicles [1]. Although PAHs are ubiquitous in the environment, soils heavily contaminated with PAHs are often associated with the use and disposal of petroleum-containing materials or their derivatives (e.g., from wood preserving or oil recycling) [2].…”

“…They can travel long distances before they return to earth in rainfall or particle settling [5]. Therefore, these compounds remain stable in the environment for quite a long time and are of importance in soil due to their toxicity to humans and their effects on soil organisms and plants [1]. They are dangerous to human beings through ingestion (eating contaminated soil or drinking contaminated water), inhalation, and skin contact.…”

Determination of low levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem fluorescence and diode-array detectors

“…At present the analytical equipment used for the measurement of PAHs in soils mainly comprises gas chromatography (GC) (Kuosmanen et al, 2003;Sikalos and Paleologos, 2005;Zuazagoitia et al, 2009), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (Ma et al, 2005;Ozcan et al, 2009;Ene et al, 2012) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (Chen et al, 2002;Lim et al, 2007;Yang et al, 2011). When GC is used for analysis of PAH components with high boiling points it needs higher temperatures to vaporize, and this may result in a discrimination effect.…”

Application of ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction followed by gas chromatography for determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water and soil samples

“…Alternatively, a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method can be used for the extraction of OPPs in water samples. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40] In the USAEME technique, the application of ultrasonic radiation facilitates the emulsification phenomenon and accelerates the mass-transfer process between two immiscible phases. However, its application has been hindered by its relatively high price and fragile coating layer of fiber.…”