title: Quantitative analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water in the low-nanogram per liter range with two-step laser mass spectrometry.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of major concern in all environmental compartments due to the mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of many PAHs. Two-step laser mass spectrometry (L2MS) is a sensitive and selective method to measure PAHs in complex solid matrixes. However, in most studies, L2MS was used for qualitative or semiquantitative analyses. Here we present for the first time a quantitative method analyzing PAHs in water at the nanogram per liter level. PAHs are extracted from a 30-mL water sample with a solid PVC membrane, which is then directly measured by L2MS without further treatment. Detection limits are in the low-nanogram per liter range (2-125 ng/L) for skeletal three- to six-ring PAHs. Extraction efficiencies of this method are between 75 and 90%. In a first application, samples from a wastewater treatment plant were measured, showing that microbial activities efficiently decrease PAH concentrations by 75-90%.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Emmenegger
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kalberer
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Morrical
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zenobi