Extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from spiked soil

A homogenization method was evaluated for extracting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soils. Fifteen PAHs were spiked and recovered from 2 soils at concentrations ranging from 1 to 1000 micrograms/g, using the homogenization method and a Soxhlet extraction method. Each extraction method performed well in removing the 15 PAHs from both soils over a broad range of concentrations. In general, Soxhlet extraction yielded slightly but significantly (P less than 0.05) higher recoveries than did the homogenization method. The homogenization method, however, was easy to use, and the extraction step turnaround time was less than 15 min/sample. The method should be suitable for other applications requiring the extraction of hydrophobic organic compounds from soils.