Improved preconcentration workflow for organic explosive traces in aqueous samples using solvent-assisted dispersive...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Explosives like HMX, RDX, and TNT pose environmental and security risks.
• Accurate detection of these compounds in aqueous samples is crucial for monitoring and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel solvent-assisted dispersive solid phase extraction (SPE) method.
• To optimize the SPE technique for efficient extraction of HMX, RDX, and TNT from aqueous matrices.
• To validate the method for sensitive and reliable analysis of these explosives.

Main Methods:

• Solvent-assisted dispersive solid phase extraction utilizing benzophenone as sorbent and methanol as disperser solvent.
• Optimization of key extraction parameters including pH, extraction time, sorbent amount, and solvent volume.
• Analysis of extracted explosives using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV).

Main Results:

• The developed method demonstrated excellent linearity with R² values ≥ 0.99 for HMX, RDX, and TNT within specified ranges.
• Achieved low limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for all target explosives, with LODs as low as 0.2 μg/L.
• The method proved effective for the practical extraction and determination of organic explosives in real water samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed solvent-assisted dispersive SPE method is a highly effective technique for extracting HMX, RDX, and TNT from aqueous samples.
• The method offers sensitive and reliable quantification of these explosives, suitable for environmental and forensic applications.
• This approach provides a valuable tool for the detection and monitoring of explosive contamination in water.