On the capillary gas chromatographic determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in environmental samples

The CGC-FID determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in environmental sample s is based on the assumption that the mass response of FID for hydrocarbons is constant and any petroleum distillation fraction can be used as a refer ence mixture for calibration purposes. It has been shown that the mass resp onses of FID for higher bailing hydrocarbons are not constant. Moreover, it was found that mess response calibration factors for petroleum oils boilin g within an equal temperature interval differ more than 2.5 fold in depende nce on the hydrocarbon group composition. In the CGC-FID determination of s uch petroleum hydrocarbons in environmental samples it is therefore necessa ry to use a reference material which provides not only chromatograms but al so the group composition.