OPTIMIZATION OF PARAMETERS FOR THE GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS

The optimization of conditions for the gas chromatographic determination of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using the splitless injection mode is described. Parameters optimized were the type and amount of solvent, the temperature of the injection port and the column and the purge time. A factorial design was used initially to identify the most important parameters. Based on this initial study, xylene was chosen as the solvent and 100-degrees-C was chosen as the best value for temperature of the column. The other parameters were optimized by using a simplex method. The optimum conditions found were 3 mu l of solvent, 280-degrees-C for the injection port and a purge time of 30 s. With these conditions, relative standard deviations for five replicate determinations of 2-ng amounts of PAHs were 3.2-10.8%.