Functionalized polymeric sorbents for solid-phase extraction of polar pollutants

This study assesses how the physical characteristics of styrene-divinylbenz ene (PS-DVB) resins affect the extent to which they are modified when they are functionalized, and how they affect recoveries in on-line solid-phase e xtraction (SPE) of some polar phenolic compounds, pesticides, and metabolit es from water samples which were analyzed by liquid chromatography and UV d etection. For this purpose, three commercial PS-DVB resins with different p hysical characteristics (Amberchrom GC-161m and two different PLRP-S resins ) were chemically modified by placing a hydrophilic group, an o-carboxybenz oyl moiety, on their surface; although the physical characteristics are dif ferent, the extent of modification did not vary significantly. The results from the SPE process with each sorbent were related to their physical and c hemical properties. The polymers with higher surface area provided better r ecoveries. Moreover, the recoveries for these analytes were better with the chemically-modified polymers due to the higher polarity of these sorbents, The best recovery values were with the sorbent obtained from the chemical modification of Amberchrom GC-161m, the commercial sorbent with higher surf ace area. For instance, in the analysis of 50 mL of a sample of 2 mu g L-1, the recovery of phenol was 40% with Amberchrom GC-161m and 65% with the ch emically-modified Amberchrom GC-161m.