The identification and measurement of components in gasoline, kerosene, and No. 2 fuel oil that partition into the aqueous phase after mixing

Some of the most common spills in waterways involve petroleum products, which are complex mixtures of varying compositions, depending on source and refining procedures. The tendency for components of potential toxicological significance to distribute to the aqueous phase under spill conditions needs to be determined. This paper is devoted to the chemical analysis of the water-soluble fractions (WSF) of gasoline, kerosene, and No. 2 fuel oil, which were added to drinking water and extracted into the aqueous phase under simulated field conditions. Initial aspects of the study dealt with the identification and distribution of the major components to the aqueous phase using pentane extraction and capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for analyses.