Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Determination of trace PAHs in seawater and sediment pore-water by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with GC/MS

  • Published:
Science in China Series B: Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A fast and reliable method for the determination of trace PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) in seawater by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatographic (GC) analysis has been developed. The SPME operational parameters have been optimized, and the effects of salinity and dissolved organic matter (DOM) on PAHs recoveries have been investigated. SPME measures only the portion of PAHs which are water soluble, and can be used to quantify PAH partition coefficient between water and DOM phases. The detection limits of the overall method for the measurement of sixteen PAHs range from 0.1 to 3.5 ng/g, and the precisions of individual PAH measurements range from 4% to 23% RSD. The average recovery for PAHs is 88.2±20.4%. The method has been applied to the determination of PAHs in seawater and sediment porewater samples collected in Jiaozhou Bay and Laizhou Bay in Shandong Peninsula, China. The overall levels of PAHs in these samples reflect moderate pollution compared to seawater samples reported elsewhere. The PAH distribution pattern shows that the soluble PAHs in seawater and porewater samples are dominated by naphthalenes and 3 ring PAHs. This is in direct contrast to those of the sediment samples reported earlier, in which both light and heavy PAHs are present at comparable concentrations. The absence of heavy PAHs in soluble forms (<0.1–3.5 ng/L) is indicative of the strong binding of these PAHs to the dissolved or solid matters and their low seawater solubility.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gao Guanfa, Hou Yizhuang, Wang Zhong. The development of enrichment technology of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water. Environ Shandong (in Chinese), 1999, 3: 30–31

    Google Scholar 

  2. King A J, Readman J W, Zhou J L. Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta, 2004, 523: 259–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ditoro D M, Zarba C S, Hansen D J, et al. Technical basis for establishing sediment quality criteria for nonionic organic chemicals by using equilibrium partitioning. Environ Toxicol Chem, 1991, 10: 1541–1583

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Li N, Lee H K. Solid-phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water: Negative effect of humic acid. J Chromatogr A, 2001, 921: 255–263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Porschmann J, Kopinke F-D, Pawliszyn J. Solid-phase microextraction for determining the binding state of organic pollutants in contaminated water rich in humic organic matter. J Chromatogr A, 1998, 816: 159–167

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tao Jinqi, Wang Chaoying, Li Bifang, et al. Determination of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental waters by solide phase microextraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatograph. Chin J Chromatogr (in Chinese), 2003, 21(6): 599–602

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ball W P, Roberts P V. Long-term sorption of halogenated organic chemicals by aquifer material(1): Equilibrium. Environ Sci Technol, 1991, 25: 1223–1236

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Grathwohl P, Reinhard M. Desorption of trichloroethylene in aquifer material: Rate limitation at the grain scale. Environ Sci Technol, 1993, 27: 2360–2366.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Poerschmann J, Zhang Z, Kopinke F-D, et al. Solid phase microextraction for determining the distribution of chemicals in aqueous matrices. Anal Chem, 1997, 69: 597–600

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Doong R A, Chang S M, Sun Y C. Solid-phase microextraction for determining the distribution of sixteen US Environmental Protection Agency polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples. J Chromatogr A, 2000, 879: 177–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Popp P, Bauer C, Moder M, et al. Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in waste water by off-line coupling of solid-phase microextraction with column liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr A, 2000, 897: 153–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Negrao M R, Alpendurada M F. Solvent-free method for the determination of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in waste water by solid-phase microextraction-high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection. J Chromatogr A, 1998, 823: 211–218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Jinno K, Muramatsu T, Saito Y, et al. Analysis of pesticides in environmental water samples by solid phase microextraction/high-performance liquid lhromatography. J Chromatogr A, 1996, 754: 137–144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ramos E U, Meijer S N, Vaes W H J, et al. Using solid phase microextraction (SPME) to determine partition coefficients to humic acids and bioavailable concentrations of hydrophobic chemicals. Environ Sci Technol, 1998, 32: 3430–3435.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Morehead N R, Eadie B J, Lake B, et al. The sorption of PAH onto dissolved organic matter in Lake Michigan waters. Chemosphere, 1986, 4: 403–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Gauthier T D, Seltz W R, Grant C L. Effects of structural and compositional variations of dissolved humic materials on pyrene K oc values. Environ Sci Technol, 1987, 21(3): 243–248

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Schlautman M A, Morgan J J. Effects of aqueous chemistry on the binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by dissolved humic materials. Environ Sci Technol, 1993, 27: 961–969

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kopinke F-D, Porschmann J, Stottmeister U. Sorption of organic pollutants on anthropogenic humic matter. Environ Sci Technol, 1995, 29: 941–950

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Landrum P F, Nihart S R, Eadie B J, et al. Reverse-phase separation method for determining pollutant binding to Aldrich humic acid and dissolved organic carbon in natural waters. Environ Sci Technol, 1984, 18: 187–192

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Mackay D, Shiu W Y, Ma K C. Illustrated Handbook of Physical Chemical Properties and Environmental Fate for Organic Chemical, Vol. II. Chelsea: Lewis Publisher, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  21. Myneni S C B, Brown J T, Martinea G A, et al. Imaging of humic substance macromolecular structures in water and soils. Science, 1999, 286: 1335–1337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Georgi A, Kopinke F-D. Validation of a modified flory-huggins concept for description of hydrophobic organic compound sorption on dissolved humic substances. Environ Toxicol Chem, 2002, 21(9): 1766–1774

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Li N, Lee H K. Tandem-cartridge solid-phase extraction followed by GC/MS analysis for measuring partition coefficients of association of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to humic acid. Anal Chem, 2000, 72: 5272–5279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Law R J, Dawes V J, Woodhead R J. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in seawater around England Wales. Mar Pollut Bull, 1993, 34(5) 306–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Tian Yun, Zheng Tianling, Wang Xinhong. Contamination characteristic of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Maluan Bay Mariculture Area of Xiamen. Mar Environ Sci (in Chinese), 2003, 22(1): 29–33

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Material Transport & Transformation in Environmental & Life Processes Lab, First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Li Qingling, Lee Franck Sen-Chun & Wang Xiaoru

  2. Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Analytical Science of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Xu Xiaoqin & Wang Xiaoru

Authors
  1. Li Qingling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xu Xiaoqin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lee Franck Sen-Chun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wang Xiaoru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lee Franck Sen-Chun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, Q., Xu, X., Sen-Chun, L.F. et al. Determination of trace PAHs in seawater and sediment pore-water by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with GC/MS. SCI CHINA SER B 49, 481–491 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-006-2026-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-006-2026-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation