Chromatographic Methods for the Determination of Phthalic Acid Esters in Different Samples

Abstract

Phthalic acid esters or phthalates are synthetic chemical compounds which were introduced in the early 1920s. The widespread applications of phthalates lead to their ubiquity in the surroundings and also have posed a serious threat to living organisms including human beings. Therefore, determination of phthalates in different environmental matrices is imperative to know their potential impacts on various ecosystems and human health. The determination of phthalates in complex natural matrices requires extensive sampling, correct sample preparation, identification, confirmation and quantification using well-established analytical methods. The present work is an outcome of the extensive literature survey on extraction methods and chromatographic determination of phthalates in environmental, biological and other samples. The commonly used extraction methods are liquid–liquid extraction, solid phase extraction, solid–liquid extraction, solid phase micro-extraction, Soxhlet mediated extraction, supercritical CO2 extraction, etc. Apart from extraction methods, we have discussed chromatographic systems particularly gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography or ultra high-performance liquid chromatography, etc. In analytical instruments, the commonly preferred detectors are mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, flame ionization detector, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry.