SEPARATION AND DETERMINATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS BY SOLID-PHASE MICROEXTRACTION CYCLODEXTRIN-MODIFIED CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS/

A sensitive method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydroc arbons (PAHs) by solid phase microextraction coupled with. cyclodextri n (CD)-modified capillary electrophoresis (CE) using UV detection has been developed. A glass fiber was prepared and used for absorbing 16 E PA priority PAHs from diluted samples until equilibrium was reached. A fter the glass fiber was connected Po a separation capillary via an ad apter, the absorbed analytes were directly released into the CE buffer stream, and electrophoretic separation was effected using a 50 mM ber ate, pH 9.2, buffer containing 35 mM sulfobutyl-oxy-beta-CD, 10 mM met hyl-beta-CD, and 4 mM alpha-CD, Separation was effected since neutral PAHs differentially partitioned between the neutral and charged CD pha ses, Under 30 kV applied potential, separation was achieved in less th an 15 min with high resolution and number of theoretical plates, Pyren e as low as 8 ppb was detected, while the highest limit of detection w as 75 ppb for acenaphthene, Very satisfactory reproducibility with res pect to migration time and peak area was obtained for repetitions usin g the same separation capillary and adapter, where only the extraction fiber was discarded after each analysis.