USE OF SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION IN THE ANALYSIS OF POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZODIOXINS AND DIBENZOFURANS

Supercritical fluid extraction is a powerful technique with great promise in organic analytical chemistry. To date little has been published on the use of SFE in the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F). The data point, however, to the feasibility of a selective and exhaustive extraction of these compounds. Solid phase trapping of the extracted PCDD/F allows for on-line class separation and clean-up and seems to be the most flexible choice of collection mode. Both CO2 and N2O can be used as supercritical fluids. Extraction recoveries can be improved with a small percentage of an organic solvent added to the supercritical fluid as modifier. Methanol and benzene have proven to be efficient. Relatively strong supercritical fluid conditions are needed for the extraction of PCDD/F from fly ash (350-400 atm at 330-370 K). Spiked internal standards are easily extracted even at mild conditions whereas native PCDD/F are not; thus caution should be taken when an isotopic dilution technique is used for a future evaluation of SFE in the analysis of PCDD/F.