Extraction and isolation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates and their intermediate metabolites from various marine organisms

A method has been developed for the determination of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates and its degradation intermediates (sulfophenylcarboxylic acids) from different marine organisms, which includes the stages of extraction and analysis by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The extraction stage (Soxhlet and solid-phase extractions) was optimised by the selection of the appropriate solvent, minicolumns and different clean-up stages. Recoveries varied in the range from 80 to 104%, with a standard deviation between 1 and 9%. Detection limits were 15 ng g −1 wet mass for undecylbezene sulfonate and 30 ng g −1 wet mass for sulfophenylundecanoic acid using HPLC–fluorescence detection. The complete analytical method was successfully applied to different marine organisms from the Bay of Cadiz (SW Spain).