Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry using macroporous resin solid-phase extraction

A method for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water has been developed. First, we made a solid-phase extraction column. After this, the parameters affecting the efficacy of the experimental method were optimized, including appropriate selection of a solid-phase extraction column and cleanup conditions on columns. The separation was achieved by gas chromatography and detection with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. The method showed satisfactory linearity (R-2 > 0.999) over the range assayed (0.01-1 mu g/mL), and limits of quantification ranging from 0.0011 to 0.0199 mu g/L. The recoveries ranged from 83 to 113%. The relative standard deviation is in the range 0.86-3.1%. The results indicated that this method had high selectivity and precision that was suitable for the simultaneous determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water.