Extraction of Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds from Soil

Introduction

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are a subgroup of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that have high molecular weights and higher boiling points than VOCs. Among these compounds are polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, plasticizers, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Many of these compounds have been banned due to both their persistence in the environment and human toxicity. Prolonged exposure to these compounds, especially indoors, has raised public health concerns, prompting their categorization by the US EPA as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Compounds under this categorization can cause serious health effects, such as allergies, asthma, endocrine and thyroid disruption, reproductive toxicity, fetal and child development delays, and even cancer.

SVOCs consist of compounds with diverse chemical properties and structural features. These differences make it challenging to efficiently extract all analytes of interest with one method. Furthermore, the soil matrix from which the SVOCs are to be extracted often include multiple components, adding to the complexity of extraction. The EDGE automated solvent extraction system is able to handle these issues and effectively extract a difficult set of analytes from complex matrices with a singular, simple method.