Improved extraction of glycol ethers from water by solid-phase micro extraction by carboxen polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber

Abstract : 15 glycol ethers can be extracted from water by solid-phase microextraction with a carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane and separated by GC a Carbowax column. Water containing 15 glycol ethers at concentrations 0.1-10 mg.L-1 is saturated at ambient temperature with NaCl. A carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber is then exposed to the liquid for 20 min and then automatically injected into a capillary GC injection port. Calibration curves were linear for different glycol ethers in the range 0.1-10 mg.L-1 Detection limits of each component of the mixture of glycol ethers between 50-500 mu g.L-1. The SPME method with direct immersion in water results in better sensivity than methods based on liquid-liquid extraction