Gas Chromatography Method Validation Study for Sensitive and Accurate Determination of Volatile Aromatic Hydrocarbons (VAHs) in Water
Abstract
A wide range of chemicals comes to exist at the
end of the industrial activities. They could have highly toxic and carcinogenic
effects on the human health and water environment. Therefore, these substances,
which are listed as prohibited chemicals on national and international lists,
must be monitored permanently with regards to environmental and human health
both in the water resources and potential receiving waterbodies. The objective
of this study was to present the method for the sensitive and accurate
determination of some volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (VAHs), including quite dangerous substances such as
benzene, toluene, xylenes, styrene and chlorobenzenes by using gas
chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with purge & trap (PT) process in different water samples. The proposed method
was verified with the selectivity,
linearity, limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ), precision studies of the method and instrument. All analytes examined in
the study were trustworthily measured within the maximum performance limits for
PT-GC-MS. The selectivity work was carried out by
duplicate analysis of six blank water samples. There is no finding or
observation within the interval of the retention time of the analytes in the
water samples. The linearity of calibration curves was drawn by
analysis of prepared standard solutions at nine concentration levels. The analytical response linearity in the working range can be assessed as an excellent since the correlation
coefficients higher than 0.9996 for all analytes. The method accuracy was
carried out by doing recovery experiment. Recoveries
of analytes have been changed from 88.4 % to 94.6 % and the relative standard
deviation (RSD) results were found between 3.52 % and 6.35 %. The applicability of developed method was
confirmed by the determination of related analytes in the water samples.
Keywords
Gas chromatography,purge & trap,quantitative analysis,volatile aromatic hydrocarbon,water
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