Magnetic micro-solid-phase-extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

•Magnetic chitosan functionalized graphene oxide sorbent was used in μ-SPE-GC–MS.•The μ-SPE device also functioned as a stir bar during extraction of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water.•This procedure exhibits good extraction efficiency for seven PAHs.•The developed method afforded an interesting and innovative approach. A novel sorbent, magnetic chitosan functionalized graphene oxide (MCFG) was synthesized and used in the micro-solid-phase-extraction (μ-SPE) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MS) analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water. Through the use of the magnetic sorbent, the μ-SPE device also functioned as a stir bar during extraction. Three types of MCFG were prepared using glutaraldehyde cross-linked chitosan and graphene oxide with different amounts of magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) (0.05g, 0.07g and 0.1g). The material was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Parameters affecting the extraction such as the type of sorbent, extraction and desorption times, volume of sample solution and type of desorption solvent were optimized. Under the most favourable conditions, the highest extraction was obtained by using the composite prepared with 0.1g of Fe3O4. For the latter material as sorbent, the linearity of the analytes was in the range of 0.01 and 100μgL−1 for naphthalene, fluoranthene and pyrene while acenaphthylene and phenanthrene exhibited linearity in the range of 0.05 and 100μgL−1. For fluorene and anthracene, the linearity range was from 0.01 to 50μgL−1. The coefficients of determination (r2) associated with the above linear ranges were higher than 0.987. The limits of detection from GC–MS analysis of the seven PAHs were in the range 0.2–1.8ngL−1; limits of quantification were between 0.8 and 5.9ngL−1 while the relative standard deviations (RSDs) varied from 2.1 to 8.2%. The recoveries of the method for the compounds at spiking levels of 1 and 5μgL−1 were in the range 67.5–106.9% with RSDs below 15%. The enrichment factors were found to be in between 67 and 302. The developed method afforded an interesting and innovative approach using MCFG as an efficient and promising sorbent.