Vortex and air assisted liquid-liquid microextraction as a sample preparation method for high-performed liquid...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like naphthalene and anthracene are environmental pollutants.
• β-naphthol is a common industrial chemical with potential health impacts.
• Existing microextraction techniques often involve complex procedures or hazardous solvents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, simple, and sensitive method for analyzing β-naphthol, naphthalene, and anthracene.
• To improve upon existing dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) by eliminating dispersive solvent and centrifugation.
• To establish an efficient extraction technique for trace organic pollutants.

Main Methods:

• Development and optimization of a vortex and air assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VAALLME) technique.
• Coupling VAALLME with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantitative analysis.
• Evaluation of key parameters: solvent type/volume, salt concentration, vortex/aeration times, and sample pH.

Main Results:

• The VAALLME-HPLC method demonstrated good linearity (r² > 0.9947) and precision (RSD < 5.0%).
• Achieved low limits of detection (LOD): 10 ng/mL for β-naphthol, 5.0 ng/mL for naphthalene, and 0.5 ng/mL for anthracene.
• Obtained high recoveries (97.0-102.0%) with low RSD values (2.2-5.2%).

Conclusions:

• The proposed VAALLME technique offers a simple, sensitive, and efficient alternative for the quantitative analysis of target analytes.
• This method eliminates the need for dispersive solvents and centrifugation, making it more environmentally friendly and user-friendly.
• VAALLME shows significant potential for the analysis of PAHs and related compounds in environmental and industrial samples.