Published:Journal of Chromatographic Science,
ISSN 0021-9665 Volume 45,
Number 2, February 2007, pp.57-62
A Comparison of the Performance of Two Chromatographic
and Three Extraction Techniques for the Analysis of PAHs in Sources
of Drinking Water
Nora E. Díaz-Moroles[1], Humberto J. Garza-Ulloa[2],
Rocío Castro-Ríos[1], Elsa G. Ramírez-Villarreal[1],
Juan M. Barbarín-Castillo[3], María de la Luz Salazar-Cavazos[1],
and Noemí Waksman-de Torres[1],
[1]Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de
Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey,
N.L. C.P.64460;
[2]Analitek, Loma de los Pinos 5505-A, Monterrey, N.L. C.P.64984;
and
[3]Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma
de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, N.L. C.P.66450,
México
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.
Reproduction
of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher’s
permission.
This
article is available in its entirety by fax for $4.00 per
page.
Visa or MasterCard accepted.
To
order electronicallyclick here or call: 847-647-2900 ext. 1323 or fax request to: 847-647-1155.
Please
indicate JCS volume and issue along with
page numbers.
