Comparison of solid-phase extraction sorbents for sample clean-up in the analysis of organic explosives

A solid-phase extraction procedure was developed for the clean-up of forensic samples collected at bombing scenes. Recoveries of common organic explosives from methanolic extracts diluted with water were studied on different hydrophobic sorbents. Polymeric sorbents retained explosive compounds better than octadecyl-bonded silica-based materials. Clean-up efficiency was evaluated with simulated samples prepared from commercial motor oil. Polymeric sorbent with the smallest specific surface area was found to limit the coextraction of matrix components. Performance of the method was confirmed by a reduction of ion suppression in LC/MS analysis.