Fast determination of phenols in contaminated soils

An extraction method for the determination of phenols in contaminated soils , based on the application of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled wi th GC-flame ionization detection analysis, was developed and tested. This m ethod was developed using a natural soil spiked with phenol to a concentrat ion level typical of an acute contamination event that can occur in an indu strial site. The effects of the extraction parameters (pH, extraction time and salt concentration) on the extraction efficiency were studied and the m ethod was then applied to determine the pollutant concentration at the begi nning and during the biological treatment of a soil, contaminated with phen ol and 3-chlorophenol,respectively, The SPME results were validated by comp arison with those obtained with an US Environmental Protection Agency certi fied extraction method. The SPME method was also successfully applied to th e determination of the adsorption behavior of S-chlorophenol on a natural c lay soil and was shown to be suitable for different matrices and phenolic c ompounds. Application of SPME technique results in a sharp reduction of the extraction times with negligible solvent consumption. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sc ience BN. All rights reserved.