Abstract
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the listed persistent organic compounds (POP) which are pollutants of environmental concern due to their toxicity. This study evaluated soxhlet and ultrasonic extraction methods using a three-solvent system (acetone+dichloromethane+n-hexane) in order to compare the ability of the techniques to extract selected PAHs in raw coals collected from a coal mine in Okobo-Enjema, Nigeria. Then, binary solvent mixtures consisting of acetone+dichloromethane; dichloromethane+n-hexane; and acetone+n-hexane, were compared with the ternary solvent system for their ability to extract the target PAHs by soxhlet extraction method. The extracts were quantitatively analysed for sixteen PAHs using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). Sonication extraction method extracted higher number of PAHs, required fewer amount of solvents, shorter time of extraction and less energy consumption compared to soxhlet extraction, which extracted higher amount of the target PAHs. The total amount of PAHs determined ranged from 0.02 mg/kg to 0.20 mg/kg in the various solvents' mixtures. The ternary mixture extracted larger quantities of the target toxic PAHs. This report will assist in the choice of analytical methods and solvent systems for environmental studies.
Highlights
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds whose molecular structure contains two or more fused aromatic rings
A ternary solvent system was used for the extraction of the target PAHs in coals by soxhlet extraction method
Many PAHs are included in the “priority pollutants” listing of the US Environmental Protecting Agency (US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) due to the extensive amount of data suggesting the hazards of these compounds
Summary
PAHs are a class of organic compounds whose molecular structure contains two or more fused aromatic rings. They are among the listed persistent organic compounds (POP) which are pollutants of serious environmental and human health concerns due to their widespread occurrence, strong persistence, long-range transportation potential, carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic properties as well as their high environmental concentration[1,2]. About 75%-90% cancers of human being are said to be mainly caused by PAHs3. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed sixteen PAHs that must be controlled due to their potential harm to people’s health[4]. PAHs occur naturally in some materials and are formed from anthropogenic activities[5]
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