Solid-phase microextraction of phthalates from water

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with six different non-polar and polar fibres was used to extract seven phthalate esters from water samples for analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. With regard to extraction efficiency and repeatability of the extractions, the 70-microm Carbowax-divinylbenzene fibre was especially suitable for the selected phthalates with water solubilities between 4200 mg l(-1) (dimethyl phthalate) and 0.0003 mg l(-1) (di-n-octyl phthalate). Linearity was controlled in the range between 0.02 and 10 microg l(-1). In analysed drinking water samples from Leipzig (Germany) and Katowice (Poland) four of the investigated phthalates [diethyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] were found to be present in concentrations between 0.02 and 0.6 microg 1(-1).