Solid-phase microextraction of phthalates from water

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with six different non-polar and polar fibres was used to extract seven phthalate esters from water samples for analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. With regard to extraction efficiency and repeatability of the extractions, the 70-μm Carbowax–divinylbenzene fibre was especially suitable for the selected phthalates with water solubilities between 4200 mg l−1 (dimethyl phthalate) and 0.0003 mg l−1 (di-n-octyl phthalate). Linearity was controlled in the range between 0.02 and 10 μg l−1. In analysed drinking water samples from Leipzig (Germany) and Katowice (Poland) four of the investigated phthalates [diethyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] were found to be present in concentrations between 0.02 and 0.6 μg l−1.