Flow injection solid-phase extraction using multi-walled carbon nanotubes packed micro-column for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A flow injection solid-phase extraction preconcentration system using a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) packed micro-column was developed for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The preconcentration of PAHs on the MWCNTs was carried out based on the adsorption retention of analytes by on-line introducing the sample into the micro-column system. Methanol was introduced to elute the retained analytes for GC–MS analysis using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Important influence factors were studied in detail, such as sample acidity, sample flow rate, eluent flow rate and volume, dimensions of MWCNTs and amounts of packing material. Limits of detection of 16 PAHs for an extraction of 50 mL water sample were in the range of 0.001–0.15 μg L−1, and the precisions (RSD) were in the range of 4–14%. The optimized method was successfully applied to the determination of 16 PAHs in surface waters, with recoveries in the range of 72–93% for real spiked sample.