Sensitive method for determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water by use of headspace-SPME/GC-MS
- Author(s)
- Christine Achten, Anne Kolb, Wilhelm Püttmann
- Abstract
A simple and rapid method for the determination of methyl tert-bulyl ether (MTBE) in water by headspace-solid-phase microextraction (headspace-SPME) at sub-?g/L concentrations is described. On using a cooled SPME fiber coated with a 75-?m layer of poly(dimethylsiloxane)/carboxene and heating the sample to 35°C, about 4 times more MTBE is extracted compared to SPME extraction with the fiber placed in the water sample. Stable analytical conditions with a detection limit of 10 ng/L are achieved. By use of a sample volume of 4 mL in a 10 mL vial, a sodium chloride content of 10% (w/w), and an extraction time of 30 min, the total time of an analytical cycle was optimized to 39 min. Precise linearity of R2>0.9991 and R2>0.9916 in the calibration range of 20-5000 ng/L and 20-100 ng/L, both in addition to blanks, respectively, and relative standard deviations of 10% (100 ng/L, long-term) and 11% (20 ng/L, short-term) are presented. The recovery is well within the accepted limits of 83-118% at a concentration of 100 ng/L and even close thereto at trace levels of 20 ng/L (96-125%). The data presented for a concentration of 100 ng/L are examined by statistical methods and show results for the T test at the 95% confidence level. Due to the large concentration range covered, the method is well suited for the monitoring of MTBE in the aquatic environment. © Springer-Verlag 2001.
- Organisation(s)
- External organisation(s)
- Universität Zürich (UZH), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
- Journal
- Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
- Volume
- 371
- Pages
- 519-525
- No. of pages
- 7
- ISSN
- 1618-2642
- Publication date
- 2001
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105904 Environmental research
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/bf00c657-d7a1-42de-875d-5179952f537a