Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Surface Water

Abstract

The current status and problems of the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface waters are discussed. Sixteen unsubstituted PAHs, which are priority pollutants of aquatic ecosystems, are selected as analytes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) ensures the identification of the majority of pollutants using an integrated spectral library and their determation at a level below the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). The conditions for the simultaneous determination of 16 unsubstituted PAHs by GC–MS with detection in the selected ion monitoring mode are optimized. PAHs were extracted from a 1-L water sample by ultrasound-assisted liquid–liquid extraction. The main performance characteristics of the procedure were estimated. The lower limit of the analytical range was from 0.5 ng/L (benzo(a)pyrene) to 50 ng/L (naphthalene); the upper limit of the analytical range was 250 ng/L for all PAHs. The procedure was tested in model systems and real samples.