Solid-phase extraction coupling to capillary electrophoresis with emphasis on environmental analysis

This article reviews the status of solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE). It focuses on some of the organic pollutants which have captured the interest of analytical chemists — phenols, surfactants, dyes, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aromatic and aliphatic amines, aromatic acids and aromatic sulfonic acids — and, in particular, on monitoring pesticides from different sources. It shows that the coupling of SPE to CE has considerable potential in the analysis of environmental pollutants.