Analysis of salicylate and benzophenone-type UV filters in soils and sediments by simultaneous extraction cleanup and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

An analytical method for the determination of UV filters in soil and sediment has been developed and validated considering benzophenones (BP) and salicylates as target analytes. Soil and sediment samples were extracted with ethyl acetate–methanol (90:10, v/v) assisted with sonication, performing a simultaneous clean-up step. Quantification of these compounds was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) after derivatization of the extracts with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). Recoveries from spiked soil samples ranged from 89.8% to 104.4% and they were between 88.4% and 105.3% for spiked sediment samples. The effect of the residence time and soil moisture content on the recovery of these compounds was also studied. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was in all cases below 6.1% and the limits of detection (S/N = 3) varied from 0.07 to 0.10 ng g−1 and from 0.11 to 0.28 ng g−1 for soils and sediments, respectively. The validated method was applied to the analysis of five benzophenone and two salicylate UV filters in soil and sediment samples collected in different areas of Spain.