Utilizing Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids in the Analysis of Volatile Hazardous and Noxious Substances in Marine Sediments

Hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) encompass a wide range of materials, including hazardous liquid substances, liquefied gases, and bulk or packaged solid dangerous goods. These substances are primarily generated during ship transportation or released into the water system as a result of industrial processes at marine industrial facilities, ultimately entering the marine environment. Due to the potential persistence of certain HNS in seawater and marine sediments, they pose substantial risks to both human health and marine environment. The environmental behavior may differ from conventional theories. This indicates the importance of developing a standard method to measure the accurate amount of HNS in the aquatic environment. For ten volatile HNS frequently detected in sediment using the Water Pollution Standard Method, we developed analytical method using room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) as extraction solvent for headspace (HS) coupled with GC-MS. Our results suggest that among NaCl and three hydrophilic RTILs, [EMIM][ESO4] is the most effective extraction solvent, showing favorable quality control results for all target analytes. To the best of our knowledge, hydrophilic RTILs have not been previously used for volatile HNS analysis in marine sediments. To confirm field applicability, ten HNS(chloroform, benzene, trichloroethylene, bromodichloromethane, toluene, tetrachloroethylene, dibromochloromethane, ethylbenzene, p,m-xylene, o,xylene) were measured by the method of this study in sediment samples near marine industrial facilities. It was confirmed that chloroform, bromodichloromethane, and p,m-xylene were detected in surrounding the marine industrial facilities. This study could provide valuable insights into the suitability and effectiveness of RTILs as solvents for HS-GC/MS analysis, potentially improving the assessment and monitoring of HNS contamination in marine environments.