One-step pressurized liquid extraction method for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Original Research Article

An Na4EDTA-assisted pressurized liquid extraction (PLE)/one-step cleanup system was developed for the routine analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments. The aim of the work was to reduce the amount of solvents used and the manual handling time for each sample while improving recovery. The average recovery levels of PAHs were enhanced about 4% with the addition of Na4EDTA as modifier than without Na4EDTA for the standard PLE system. Although the average recoveries decreased (3–5%) compared to the Na4EDTA-assisted standard PLE extraction system, the Na4EDTA-assisted PLE/one-step cleanup system gave a reasonable high extraction efficiency. It could be coupled to GC/MS directly without further cleanup process.