Ultra-trace determination of fluorinated aromatic carboxylic acids in aqueous reservoir fluids using solid-phase extraction in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry

A method is presented for the ultra-trace determination of 16 fluorinated aromatic carboxylic acids in aqueous reservoir fluids. Up to 15 acids can be determined simultaneously. Solid-phase extraction on Isolute ENV+ cartridges and derivatization with diazomethane prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry enabled the reliable determination of the fluorinated acids as methyl esters in the ppt range, Determination of selected fluorinated aromatic carboxylic acids in aqueous reservoir samples, injected as water tracers in North Sea reservoirs, confirmed the applicability of the method. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.