Analysis of organic pollutants

Abstract

This lab course provides an in-depth overview of the various steps that have to be carried out when analyzing qualitatively and quantitatively organic pollutants in soil, surface waters and groundwaters.

Objective

This lab course provides an in-depth overview of the various steps that have to be carried out when analyzing qualitatively and quantitatively organic pollutants in soil, surface waters and groundwaters.The aims are (i) to get acquainted with the theoretical and practical background required to determine trace organic pollutants in various environmental matrices, and (ii) to get hands-on experience with state of the art methodology and instrumentation used for organic trace analysis.

Content

All steps including sampling, sample preparation, enrichment, separa¬tion, identification and quantification will be carried out using some prominent model pollutants present in soils, natural waters and waste waters. The techniques and instrumentation involved include a.o., solid phase (micro) extraction (SPME), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), gas chromatographic analysis (GC) using flame ionisation (FID), electron capture (ECD), as well as mass-spectrometric(GC/MS) detection, and liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to photometric and fluorescence detection (UV/VIS), as well as to tandem mass-spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). In addition, the students will be introduced to compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) using a gas chromatograph isotope ratio mass spectrometer system (GC/IR-MS). The GC/IR-MS is used to asses pollutant transformation at contaminated sites based on 13C fractionation data.

Resources