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Sequential ASE extraction of alkylphenols from sediments: Occurrence and environmental implications
1State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wushan, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|July 1, 2011
Summary
Alkylphenols (APs) contamination in Pearl River Delta sediments is among the world's highest. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) proved more effective than Soxhlet extraction for detecting these environmental pollutants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Marine and Estuarine Science
Background:
- Alkylphenols (APs), including nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP), are persistent organic pollutants found in aquatic environments.
- Riverine sediments act as sinks for these contaminants, making them crucial for assessing pollution levels.
- The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is a major industrial and urbanized region, raising concerns about its sediment contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the occurrence and concentrations of alkylphenols (APs) in riverine sediments from the Pearl River Delta (PRD).
- To evaluate and compare the efficiency of Soxhlet extraction (S-APs) and sequential accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) (A-APs) for APs determination.
- To correlate APs concentrations with sediment properties, specifically total organic carbon (TOC).
Main Methods:
- Sediment samples were collected from the Pearl River Delta.
- Alkylphenols were extracted using two methods: Soxhlet extraction with dichloromethane and sequential accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) with toluene/methanol.
- Quantification of nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) was performed, and results were correlated with total organic carbon (TOC) content.
Main Results:
- Concentrations of OP and NP in PRD sediments ranged from <1 to 463 ng/g dw and 31 to 21,885 ng/g dw, respectively, indicating high contamination levels.
- The sequential ASE method (A-APs) yielded results significantly higher (on average 1.5 times) than the Soxhlet extraction method (S-APs).
- Both S-APs and A-APs showed significant positive correlations with TOC, suggesting that condensed organic matter affects extraction efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The Pearl River Delta exhibits one of the highest levels of alkylphenol contamination globally.
- Sequential accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) is a more efficient method for extracting APs from sediments compared to Soxhlet extraction.
- The presence of organic matter in sediments plays a significant role in the extraction efficiency of APs, impacting analytical results.
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