title: Determination of benzylsuccinic acid in gasoline-contaminated groundwater by solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: Benzylsuccinic acid (BSA) and methylbenzylsuccinic acid (methyl-BSA) are unambiguous biotransformation products resulting from anaerobic toluene and xylene biodegradation, respectively. A solid-phase extraction method based on polystyrene-divinylbenzene sorbent was developed for the quantitative BSA determination in groundwater samples as an alternative to liquid-liquid extraction. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used for separation and detection. The recovery from spiked 11 groundwater samples was 88 to 100%. The precision of the method, indicated by the relative standard deviation, was +/- 4% and the method detection limit was 0.2 microg/l. The concentration of BSA and methyl-BSA in groundwater samples from anaerobic BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes)-contaminated sites ranged from below the detection limit (3 microg/l) to 155 microg/l.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331, USA.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Reusser
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D005742:Gasoline; D008745:Methylation; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013386:Succinates / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005742:Gasoline; D013386:Succinates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C000249:benzylsuccinic acid