Supercritical-carbon-dioxide extraction of lipids from a contaminated soil

Different classes of lipidic components have been isolated from a contamina ted soil by CO2 under supercritical conditions. The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared with those obtained by Soxhlet extraction using two different solvent mixtures. The influence of pressure and temperature on the extraction efficiency were evaluated by usi ng a rotatable central composite design. The method is useful for optimizat ion of the extraction of the esters of fatty acids. However for fatty acids , an empirical approach was needed. Both methods, namely supercritical extr action and Soxhlet extraction give results which are in good agreement. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.