OPTIMIZATION OF AN ONLINE PRECOLUMN PRECONCENTRATION METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) IN WATER SAMPLES (RIVER AND SEA-WATER)

A new on-line precolumn preconcentration method for the determination of EPA priority pollutants (PAHs) in river and sea water has been deve loped. The retention time for each PAH in the precolumn has been deter mined for several percentages of organic solvent (acetonitrile) in the sample. This is very important because recoveries show a great depend ence on this parameter. The proposed procedure, combined with HPLC and spectrofluorimetric detection, reaches very low detection limits (sub nanograms per liter) and it has been applied to river and sea water sa mples with good results.