title: Four-way modeling of 4.2 K time-resolved excitation emission fluorescence data for the quantitation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil samples.
abstract: A screening method for the soil analysis of 15 Environmental Protection Agency-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (EPA-PAHs) is reported. The new method is based on the collection of 4.2 K fluorescence time-resolved excitation-emission cubes (TREECs) via laser-excited time-resolved Shpol'skii spectroscopy. 4.2 K fluorescence TREECs result from the superposition of fluorescence time-resolved excitation emission matrices recorded at different time windows from the laser excitation pulse. Potential interference from unknown sample concomitants is handled by processing the four-way 4.2 K fluorescence TREEC data arrays with either parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) or unfolded partial least-squares/residual-trilinearization(U-PLS/RTL). The sensitivity of the two approaches makes possible to determine PAHs at the ng g(-1) to pg g(-1) concentration level with no need for sample pre-concentration. Its selectivity eliminates sample clean-up steps and chromatographic separation. These features reduce PAH loss, analysis time and cost. The method is environmentally friendly as the complete screening of the 15 EPA-PAHs takes only 250 μL of organic solvent per sample.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Química Analítica I, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, CC 242-S3000 Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hector C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Goicoechea
authors.forename: Shenjiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Anthony F T
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Andres D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Campiglia
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005453:Fluorescence; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D012989:Soil Pollutants