Application of continuous-flow liquid-phase microextraction to the analysis of volatile halohydrocarbons in water

A novel method for the determination of four volatile halohydrocarbons (CHCl3, CCl4, C2HCl3 and C2Cl4) in water is developed by combined continuous-flow liquid-phase microextraction (CFME) with gas chromatography microelectron capture detection (GC-μECD). The effects of extraction solvent type and volume, flow-rate of sample solution, sample volume and salt concentration on the extraction performance were investigated and optimized. The developed protocol was found to yield a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 0.02 to 20 μg L−1 for the target analytes, and the detection limits were found to be in the low μg L−1 level, between 0.001 and 0.02 μg L−1. Good repeatabilities of extraction were obtained, with the R.S.D. values below 4.3%. The results demonstrated that the CFME followed with GC-μECD was a simple and reliable technique for the determination of volatile halohydrocarbons in water samples.