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ACCELERATED SOLVENT EXTRACTION COMBINED WITH AUTOMATED SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION-GC/MS FOR ANALYSIS OF SEMIVOLATILE COMPOUNDS IN HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT SOLID SAMPLES
Citation:
FORD, R. G. AND D. KOVACS. ACCELERATED SOLVENT EXTRACTION COMBINED WITH AUTOMATED SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION-GC/MS FOR ANALYSIS OF SEMIVOLATILE COMPOUNDS IN HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT SOLID SAMPLES . Presented at Laboratory Technical Information Group Conference, Edison, NJ, May 03, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
A research project was initiated to address a recurring problem of elevated detection limits above required risk-based concentrations for the determination of semivolatile organic compounds in high moisture content solid samples. This project was initiated, in cooperation with the EPA Region 1 Laboratory, under the Regional Methods Program administered through the ORD Office of Science Policy. The aim of the project was to develop an approach for the rapid removal of water in high moisture content solids (e.g., wetland sediments) in preparation for analysis via Method 8270. Alternative methods for water removal have been investigated to enhance compound solid concentrations and improve extraction efficiency, with the use of pressure filtration providing a high-throughput alternative for removal of the majority of free water in sediments and sludges. In order to eliminate problems with phase separation during extraction of solids using Accelerated Solvent Extraction, a variation of a water-isopropanol extraction method developed at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, CO is being employed. The concentrations of target compounds in water-isopropanol extraction fluids are subsequently analyzed using an automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)-GC/MS method developed in our laboratory. The coupled approaches for dewatering, extraction, and target compound identification-quantitation provide a useful alternative to enhance sample throughput for Method 8270 analyses.