Multivariate statistical comparison of analytical procedures for benzene and phenol determination with respect to their environmental impact

• Self-organizing maps results are useful in analytical procedures greenness assessment.
• The main discriminators between analytical procedures are environmental ones.
• The variable responsible for environmental impact is the organic solvent amount.

The study describes the possibility of application of self-organizing maps technique to assess the greenness of analytical methodologies. The metrological and “environmental impact” parameters of procedures for benzene and phenol determination in water samples were sets of input data for chemometric analysis. Totally 47 objects and 8 variables formed the data used for analysis. The major factors responsible for non-green character of the methodology are the amount of organic solvent and amount of solid wastes formed. The results of the assessment methods with NEMI symbols and Eco-scale are in good agreement. Greener procedures for benzene and phenol determination are those based on SPME. In case of phenol the methodologies based on GC separation are much greener than those based on LC. The results also show that it is easier to apply green methodologies for benzene, as a compound with lower polarity and hence with less affinity to, than for phenol. The SOM assessment methodology can be useful in choosing the proper analytical procedures.

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