Trace Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Water Using Twister SBSE Technology

Martin Perkins

30th July 2014

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and fuel and are also produced from combustion and high temperature cooking in certain foodstuffs. They are classed as persistent organic pollutants (POPS) and are subject to environmental regulations. Current methods for PAHs usually involve a liquid / liquid extraction with dichloromethane, based upon the EPA Method 610. The extraction takes a significant length of time and can increase contamination possibilities.

Within this application note, we show how PAHs can be extracted from water samples using Twister SBSE (Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction) technology, to achieve an automated method on a GC-Single Quadrupole instrument.

Good precision (%rsd < 11) and linearity (r²>0.996) was achieved with this enrichment twister method for the 13 PAHs tested. The technique is simple and removes the need for large quantities of solvents, reducing costs and environmental impact.