Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) in the analysis of environmental solid samples - Some aspects of theory and practice

Theoretical basis, equipment, and some practical considerations regarding the use of a new extraction technique, Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE), are presented. ASE is quite a new technique, but its use has so far been limited due to its high cost. This review attempts to summarize some aspects of the theory, results, and conclusions of research related to ASE found in the literature. Applications of this technique to the extraction of various environmental pollutants from solid samples are presented. Finally, the comparisons of ASE to other extraction techniques and its advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Classic techniques of analyte isolation from solid samples (such as Soxhlet extraction, flask extraction) are tedious and time-consuming, which lowers the sample throughput. Accelerated Solvent Extraction is a fully automated technique, so it could be especially useful for routine analyses of environmental pollutants and food.