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EXTRACTION AND DETERMINATION OF SELECTED POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN PLANT TISSUES
Citation:
Coates, J., A. Elzerman, AND A.W. Garrison. EXTRACTION AND DETERMINATION OF SELECTED POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN PLANT TISSUES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-86/091 (NTIS PB86217015).
Description:
A procedure has been developed for analysis of plant material for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sonication is used to extract the PAHs from homogenized plant material into acetonitrile and then the PAHs are partitioned into pentane. The pentane extract is fractionated on a micro silicic acid column and is analyzed by capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Overall method recoveries for 16 PAHs spiked into hybrid grain sorghum ranged from 45 to 90 percent, with relative standard deviations ranging from 3 to 38 percent and averaging 17 percent. The method can be used to measure PAHs in hybrid grain sorghum, fescue grass, and similar plants at the 25 microgram/kg level. The procedure was applied to a preliminary study of PAH uptake by sorghum and fescue irrigated with secondary treated municipal wastewater spiked with 5 PAHs. Accumulation of fluoranthene and pyrene by fescue and hybrid grain sorghum from the PAH-contaminated irrigation water was apparent.