SOLVENT EXTRACTION FOR QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DETERMINATION OF POLLUTANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATRICES

In recent decades, awareness of environmental issues has grown considerably. Determining pollutants and contaminants is paramount not only for compliance with current legislation but also for the well-being and future of living beings.

Whatever the challenge, environmental analysis methods must be versatile and provide reliable data to prevent contamination effectively.
 
Hot solvent extraction is a widely used method in environmental analysis, both for quantitative and qualitative determinations.

The VELP SER 158 is the Automatic Solvent Extractor that supports environmental laboratories to achieve accurate and reliable results while saving precious time and resources.

Domestic and industrial wastes, as well as sludge, contain an amount of oil and grease that should be properly disposed of as they cause damage to aquatic organisms, plants, animals, and human beings.

In fact, oil and grease created a layer on the water's surface that decreases dissolved oxygen, reducing biological activity. Then, knowing the quality and concentration of oil and grease helps in the proper design and operation of wastewater treatment systems.

In this study, we analyzed a Certified Reference Material with a known n-Hexane Extractable Material (Oil and Grease) with SER 158 Automatic Solvent Extraction unit, by using the preset “Oil and grease from wastewater” method.

The SER 158 provided accurate and reliable results in the quantitative determination of oil and grease content ​​​.
 

READ THE APPLICATION NOTE

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are non-polar organochlorine substances deliberately produced by industrial processes. 

Although their use has been banned in many countries, PCBs are ubiquitous contaminants considered persistent and bio-accumulative and included in the list of priority substances drawn up by any legislation.

In fact, they tend to concentrate in the soil and sediment matrix but find in water an excellent route of diffusion once adsorbed on mineral and organic particles present in suspension. Due to their chemical-physical characteristics, PCBs can be transported by atmospheric currents, rivers and sea currents, making it possible to contaminate places at long distances.

For this reason, the analysis of these compounds has become a routine analysis in environmental laboratories.

In this study, the VELP SER 158 was used to perform preliminary qualitative analyses, and the extracted matter was further analyzed to identify its components.

 

READ THE APPLICATION NOTE