COMBINED EXPERIMENTAL-DESIGN AND INFORMATION-THEORY FOR THE OPTIMIZATION OF SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION OF ORGANIC PRIORITY POLLUTANTS FROM SEDIMENT

Optimization of the supercritical extraction (SFE) of incurred n-alkan es, PAHs and PCBs from a marine sediment has been carried out by a cen tral composite experimental design maximizing the content of extracted analytes and minimizing the information gain compared with Soxhlet ex traction (MeOH:CH2Cl2). Distributions of individual compounds found in the SFE optimized by the information gain theory were closer to the S oxhlet results. Furthermore, only the n-alkanes exhibited concurrent c oncentration maxima and minimum information gain. PCBs and PAHs exhibi ted optima at different extraction conditions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce B.V.