Membrane extraction for the determination of halogenated ether priority pollutants in water

Abstract

A method is described for the solvent‐free extraction, concentration, and determination of the halogenated ether base/neutral priority pollutants in water. Samples are collected by permeation through a silicone polycarbonate membrane followed by trapping onto a Tenax‐TA sampling tube. These samples were thermally desorbed and allowed to directly pass into a gas Chromatograph (GC) equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) for subsequent separation and quantitation. Concentrations in the parts per billion (μg/L) were found for all the compounds studied. A linear relationship was obtained for concentrations ranging between approximately 8 and 300 parts per billion (ppb). The method can be used as an alternative to current preconcentration methods or for continuous monitoring of wastewater streams. It also offers the advantages of eliminating the need for costly solvents which in turn may contribute to sample contamination, and also lowering the number of analysis steps while still providing acceptable detection limits.