PAH determination in sediment

UniversalExtractor E-800, Syncore Analyst: Soxhlet warm extraction of a sediment sample for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

PAH are persistent, ubiquitous and some of them have carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic properties. There are more than 100 different PAH, but usually the 16 PAH defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are analyzed. Benzo(a)pyrene is often used as a lead substance. This Application Note describes the extraction and determination of these EPA-PAHs in a dried sediment SETOC sample according to EPA 3541. The sample was extracted with the UniversalExtractor E-800 in the Soxhlet warm mode.