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Application of portable gas chromatography-photo ionization detector combined with headspace sampling for field analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in soils

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Abstract

A method based on headspace (HS) sampling coupling with portable gas chromatography (GC) with photo ionization detector (PID) was developed for rapid determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in soils. Optimal conditions for HS gas sampling procedure were determined, and the influence of soil organic matter on the recovery of BTEX from soil was investigated using five representative Chinese soils. The results showed that the HS-portable-GC-PID method could be effectively operated at ambient temperature, and the addition of 15 ml of saturated NaCl solution in a 40-ml sampling vial and 60 s of shaking time for sample solution were optimum for the HS gas sampling procedure. The recoveries of each BTEX in soils ranged from 87.2 to 105.1 %, with relative standard deviations varying from 5.3 to 7.8 %. Good linearity was obtained for all BTEX compounds, and the detection limits were in the 0.1 to 0.8 μg kg−1 range. Soil organic matter was identified as one of the principal elements that affect the HS gas sampling of BTEX in soils. The HS-portable-GC-PID method was successfully applied for field determination of benzene and toluene in soils of a former chemical plant in Jilin City, northeast China. Considering its satisfactory repeatability and reproducibility and particular suitability to be operated in ambient environment, HS sampling coupling with portable GC-PID is, therefore, recommended to be a suitable screening tool for rapid on-site determination of BTEX in soils.

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Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the constructive comments of the two anonymous reviewers on an earlier version of this manuscript. Thanks are also given to Angel Perez Sainz for his helpful comments and assistance in the technical review of this manuscript. This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 21075114) and the Special Environmental Protection Fund for Public Welfare project of China (no. 201009015, no. 200809095, and no. 201009032).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, No.8 DaYangFang, AnWai, Beijing, 100012, People’s Republic of China

    You-Ya Zhou, Ji-Fang Yu, Zeng-Guang Yan, Chao-Yan Zhang, Qing-Bao Gu & Fa-Sheng Li

  2. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China

    Ji-Fang Yu & Li-Qiang Ma

  3. College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100022, China

    Ya-Bo Xie

  4. Department of Soil Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, No.8 DaYangFang AnWai, Beijing, 100012, People’s Republic of China

    Zeng-Guang Yan

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  1. You-Ya Zhou
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Correspondence to Zeng-Guang Yan.

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Zhou, YY., Yu, JF., Yan, ZG. et al. Application of portable gas chromatography-photo ionization detector combined with headspace sampling for field analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in soils. Environ Monit Assess 185, 3037–3048 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2771-1

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