EXTRACTION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS FROM CONTAMINATED SOILUSING SOXHLET EXTRACTION, PRESSURIZED AND ATMOSPHERIC MICROWAVE-ASSISTED EXTRACTION, SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION AND ACCELERATED SOLVENT-EXTRACTION

Soxhlet extraction has been compared with pressurised and atmospheric microwave-assisted extraction, accelerated solvent extraction and supe rcritical fluid extraction for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic h ydrocarbons (PAHs) from native, contaminated soil. The results indicat e that the recovery of PAHs is dependent on the extraction technique. The highest recoveries of individual PAHs were consistently obtained b y Soxhlet extraction. For the samples investigated here the preferred technique in terms of recoveries is Soxhlet extraction. (C) 1997 Elsev ier Science B.V.