PAHs in Surface Water by PDA and Fluorescence Detection

Introduction

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are prevalent in a number of environmental matrices, and are created as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels. PAHs are water soluble and toxic to invertebrate aquatic organisms. They have also been shown to bioaccumulate in the environment, and their solubility results in binding with soils, sediments and particulate matter. Many government agencies, such as the US EPA, have established regulatory limits for PAHs in environmental matrices. In this application, utilizing a spiking experiment, the levels at which PAHs in surface water can be monitored by UHPLC, with a sub-2 µm particle sized column combined with photo diode array (PDA) and fluorescence (FL) detection, are investigated.