Preconcentration Procedures for Phthalate Esters Combined with Chromatographic Analysis

Phthalate esters are endocrine disrupters or mutagens. They are widely used as plasticizers and can be usually found in environmental samples, such as food, soil and polluted air. However, it is difficult to directly determine phthalate esters owing to their relatively low concentration and complex matrices. Therefore, preconcentration and separation have become increasingly important. In recent years, many preconcentration methods have been successfully developed and widely used, such as liquid-liquid extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and solid-phase extraction. These preconcentration methods for phthalate esters can be applied to various real samples, water, soil, air, food and cosmetics. The aim of this paper is to review recent literature studies (primarily from the last five years) about preconcentration techniques for phthalate esters coupled with chromatographic analysis. The following text describes several preconcentration approaches, including liquid-liquid extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, cloud point extraction, solid-phase extraction, solid-phase microextraction and stir bar sorptive extraction. Their advantages and disadvantages are also summarized.