Application Note: Determination Of 24 PAHs In Drinking Water Using Automated SPE And Fast HPLC-FLD/UV Detection

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants formed at high temperature and under pyrolytic conditions during the incomplete combustion of organic matter. They are found throughout the environment in air, water and soil, and also in food. Due to the carcinogenic/mutagenic properties of some PAHs, systematic monitoring is applied in most countries worldwide. Recommended analytical procedures are documented or proposed in several US and EU guidelines. The number of PAHs in these guidelines has increased in the last few years and are likely to be increased again in the future. Maximum permitted levels have also changed. Today, most laboratories determine up to 16 PAHs in water, however, as discussions are ongoing to accommodate a possible increase in the number of PAHs, it was our intention to develop an analytical method to detect a wider range of PAHs.