The development of a solvent-free approach for the determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in water
- Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Current analytical methods for analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons or oil and grease in water use extraction of 1.5 liters of the aqueous sample with three aliquots of Freon 113, drying with silica gel and subsequent analysis by infrared spectroscopy at 2,930 cm{sup {minus}1}. The use of chlorofluorocarbons is unacceptable based on environmental concerns regarding the degradation of the ozone layer by photochemical reactions of halocarbons. Due to these environmental concerns, various international agreements have resulted in a plan to eliminate CFCs by the year 2000. A new approach relies on a solid/liquid extraction with thermal desorption of the analytes into a gas stream. The gas stream is analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and the analytes quantified. The steps in the analysis are presented. A known volume of aqueous sample (typically between 10 and 50 ml) is passed through a selectively absorbent resin such as XAD-16. The analytes are absorbed onto the resin, while the water passes through. The analytes are thermally desorbed using a stream of IR transparent gas such as N{sub 2}, At or He which flushes the analytes into a suitable gas cell. The spectrum of the sample is either collected using a Fourier transform spectrometer and commercially available GC/IR or kinetic data collection software or a single wavelength measurement is made using a filter or prism instrument. By integrating the area under the curve for the infrared response versus desorption time, the concentration of the analytes can be calculated.
- OSTI ID:
- 231010
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950209-; TRN: IM9623%%320
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 4. international symposium on field screening methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 22-24 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Field screening methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals. VIP-47, Volume 1; PB: 733 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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