On-line solid-phase extraction and HPLC determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water using fluorocarbon polymer sorbents

Polyvinylidenefluoride (fluorocarbon polymer sorbent) with surface area 8.4 m 2 g −1 and particle size 15–30 μm was used for on-line SPE–HPLC determination of naphthalene, biphenyl, acenaphthene, anthracene and pyrene in natural water. Desorption eluent flow rates were varied from 0.50 to 1.75 ml min −1 and the volume of analyte-containing eluent stream zone was 0.10–0.11 ml, while empty preconcentration column volume is 0.10 ml. Detection limits of SPE–HPLC method were established: 5 ng l −1 (biphenyl), 7 ng l −1 (anthracene), 8 ng l −1 (acenaphthene), 30 ng l −1 (pyrene), 40 ng l −1 (naphthalene), using UV spectrophotometric detection. Several samples of natural and potable water were spiked with mixture of PAHs, thus validating the proposed technique.