PACKED-COLUMN SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED WITH SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC MICROCONTAMINANTS IN WATER

A multiresidue method for the analysis of 35 common contaminants (incl uding pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols) in lou gh and river waters from Castilla y Leon Spanish region, by using supe rcritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with five silica packed columns, is described. In order to decrease the detection Limits, a preconcentr ation step by coupling solid-phase extraction to the SFC system was us ed. The different variables affecting the extraction procedure were st udied and optimized, selecting the Isolute Env+ as the best sorbent. T he detection limits achieved ranged from 0.4 to 2.6 mu g l(-1). (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.