Comparison of different fibers for the solid-phase microextraction of phthalate esters from water

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spect rometry (GC-MS) has been applied to determine six phthalate esters and one adipate ester in water. The SPME parameters were optimized for several comm ercially available fibers. A 65-mum polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PD MS-DVB) was the fiber selected and was applied to analysis of water from th e Ebro river and the industrial port of Tarragona. The studied compounds we re found at concentrations ranging from 0.4 mug 1(-1) for di-n-butyl phthal ate ester (DnBP) to 3.2 mug 1(-1) for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ester (DE HP). The linear range for real samples was from 0.1 to 10 mug 1(-1) for mos t phthalates, and the Limits of detection of the method were between 3 and 30 ng 1(-1). Repeatability and reproducibility between days (n=5) for 1 mug 1(-1) samples were below 13 and 18%, respectively. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.