Solvent-free determination of BTEX in water using repetitive membrane extraction followed by GC-MS

An analytical method for solvent-free determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in water using repetitive membrane extractions coupled to cryofocusing and GC-MS was derived. BTEX compounds that permeated through a nonporous silicone membrane from the aqueous phase and evaporated into the acceptor phase were purged into a cryofocusing trap ($-100^{\circ}C$) with helium gas. The BTEX compounds, thus enriched in the trap, were thermally desorbed into a capillary column GC and detected using an MS. The flow rate of the donor phase (30 mL water) was set at 10 mL/min, and membrane extractions, accomplished by returning the water drained from the extraction module to the sample container, were repeated three times at $20{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. Although recoveries (%) were variable, from the highest for benzene (approximately 80%) to the lowest for ethylbenzene and xylenes (3.5-10%), the method showed satisfactory precision (RSD 2.2-10%) with good-linearity calibration curves ($r^2$ 0.9976-0.9997 in 1-100 ${\mu}g$/L range) for all of the compounds. The method detection limits (MDLs) ranged from 0.16 to 1.8 ${\mu}g$/L. The results showed the method's advantages such as short analysis time and overall simplicity without solvent compared to the conventional techniques.

반복적인 막 추출과 GC-MS를 이용한 물 중 BTEX의 분석

용매를 사용하지 않고 반복적으로 막 추출한 후 저온농축과 GC-MS로 물 중 BTEX를 분석하는 방법을 시도하였다. 물로부터 비공성막의 silicone 막을 투과한 BTEX를 He 기체를 통해 $-100^{\circ}C$의 저온 농축장치로 보낸 후 열 탈착과 GC-MS로 분석하였다. 물 시료(30 mL)는 10 mL/min로 흘려주었고, 한 번 추출된 시료는 다시 되돌려서 두 번 더 추출하였다. Benzene에 대한 회수율은 가장 높아 약 80%인 반면에, ethylbenzene과 xylenes에 대한 회수율은 3.5-10%로 낮은 편이었다. 그렇지만, RSD는 모두 10% 미만이었고 검량선의 직선성($r^2$)도 0.9976-0.9997로 높은 편이었으며, 방법검출한계도 1.8 ${\mu}g$/L 이었다. 이 방법은 짧은 추출 시간, 용매의 미사용 및 분석의 편의성의 장점을 갖고 있다.