Comparison of supercritical fluid extraction and Soxhlet extraction of organic compounds from carpet samples

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and Soxhlet extraction were applied to a common set of samples to determine their relative efficiencies for the measurement of a variety of organic compounds and their comparability as laboratory techniques. For this test, a variety of carpet samples were extracted by both SFE and Soxhlet methods and the extraction solutions were analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results relative to an internal standard spike were then compared statistically by their relative standard deviations, an F-test for precision, and their averages within a 95% confidence level. Compounds of possible environmental exposure concern were used as some of the selected compounds for comparison. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.