TITLE:
Treatment of Materials Contaminated with Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs): Comparison of Traditional Method and Supercritical Fluid Extraction
AUTHORS:
Dannielle Jannaine Silva, Felipe V. Pietri, José Ermirio F. Moraes, Reinaldo Camino Bazito, Camila Gambini Pereira
KEYWORDS:
Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Extraction; Soil; Wood
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Analytical Chemistry,
Vol.3 No.12A,
December
31,
2012
ABSTRACT:
The objective of this study was to develop an
experimental methodology for the extraction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
from contaminated soil and wood material using the Soxhlet extraction method
and supercritical fluid technology. The sample PCB contents were quantified
using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Conventional
extractions of PCBs from soil samples showed higher extraction yields for
samples with the highest initial PCB levels and longest extraction times.
Specific PCBs yielded 74.0% - 78.3% removal using ethanol as the solvent. 91.0%
- 94.3% removal of the total PCB content was achieved using hexane as the solvent.
Supercritical fluid extraction of soil samples resulted in 50.0% - 70.5%
removal for specific PCBs and 57.3% removal of the total PCB content. For wood,
the use of Soxhlet extraction resulted in 87.0% - 94.0% removal for specific
PCBs and 95.0% - 96.3% removal of the total PCB content. Supercritical fluid
extraction of wood samples resulted in 91.1% - 95.0% removal of specific PCBs
and 95.1 % of the total PCB content.