Fiber-assisted emulsification microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the determination of aromatic amines in aqueous samples

• A novel fiber-assisted emulsification microextraction method was proposed.
• The method was used for the determination of aromatic amines in aqueous sample.
• Good recoveries and detection limits were achieved.

A novel fiber-assisted emulsification microextraction (FAEME) method was developed for the determination of eight aromatic amines (AAs) in aqueous samples. In this method, the extraction solvent (100 μL chlorobenzene) and the dispersive material (1.0 mg kapok fiber fragments) were added successively into the aqueous sample (5.0 mL), and then the mixture was emulsified by ultrasound to form the cloudy solution. Phase separation was performed by centrifugation, and the sedimented phase was transferred to micro-inserts with a microsyringe for analysis. All variables involved in the extraction process were identified and optimized. By coupling the analysis with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), excellent detection limits (0.01–0.2 μg L−1), good precision (RSDs, 3.33–6.56%) and linear ranges (0.10–160 μg L−1 and 1.0–160 μg L−1) were obtained. Compared with the traditional solvent-emulsification method, the extraction recoveries of the proposed method were much higher. Satisfactory recoveries were achieved when the method was used for the analysis of AAs in spiked real water samples.