Quantitative determination of organic compounds in extracts of activated carbon by means of GC/MS

Use of activated carbon plays a significant role in water technology and analytical chemistry. Therefore determination of substances adsorbed on activated carbon is of special interest. As an example, granulated activated carbon (GAC) from a water treatment plant was serially extracted with different organic solvents. Quantitative determination of some selected compounds in the combined extracts was done by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The method of internal standard addition and calibration by response factors was used. The determined compounds (all of substituted benzene type) were extracted from the GAC in the concentration range from 0.2 mg/100 g (m-dichlorobenzene) to 5 mg/100 g (nitrobenzene). Relative standard deviation for double determination of five independent samples from the GAC filter was less than ±20% Spike experiments were performed to determine recovery efficiences. As expected, substance specific differences appeared and the recoveries were between 36% (m-dichlorobenzene) and 80% (nitrobenzene). A significant limitation for quantitative determination results from lack of available substances for calibration. © 1987 Springer-Verlag.

Duke Scholars

Author David Stuart Millington Pediatrics, Medical Genetics