On-line flow injection-cloud point preconcentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography

Cloud point methodology has been used to develop a novel preconcentration and an analytical method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil sample. The nonionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S-7 was successfully used as the surfactant-mediated extractant in both ultrasonic and microwave-assisted extractions. Over 90% of recoveries for various PAHs in soil were obtained under the optimal experimental conditions. The extracts were then preconcentrated and analyzed by our proposed on-line coupling method “flow injection-cloud point preconcentration-high-performance liquid chromatography” (FI-CPP-HPLC) equipped with a fluorescence detector and an excitation/emission wavelength program. The preconcentration system and optimal working conditions were established. The limit of detection of the FI-CPE-HPLC system ranges from 0.101 to 0.456 μg/L for the selected PAHs, i.e., phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene. Our proposed technique provides a reliable, simple and automatic analytical method for the determination of PAHs in environmental soil samples.