EXTRACTION OF BENZENE, TOLUENE, ETHYL BENZENE, XYLENE AND CUMENE FROMSOIL USING METHANOL AT ELEVATED-TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE

A system for solvent extraction at elevated temperature and pressure h as been constructed from parts of HPLC and GC instruments, The apparat us has been used successfully to remove benzene, toluene, ethyl benzen e, p-xylene and cumene from vapour-fortified clay soil, Quantitative r ecoveries (100 +/- 10%) were obtained for all analytes, provided the c ollection vial was cooled to around -3 degrees C in an ice-salt mixtur e, When the performance was compared with that of a commercial, accele rated solvent extraction system, similar levels of ethyl benzene, p-xy lene and cumene were extracted, However, the recoveries and, in partic ular, the reproducibility were significantly better for benzene and to luene with the system developed.