A unique method for monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is reported for routine analysis of water samples. The assay consists of a three-step procedure. One hundred milliliters of water is processed through an octadecyl extraction membrane via solid-liquid extraction. The pollutants are eluted with 5 mL of n-hexane and directly determined in the eluting solvent by laser excited time-resolved Shpol'skii spectrometry. Seventy-seven K fluorescence measurements are made with the aid of an optical fiber probe that avoids the complications of classical low-temperature methodology. The total analysis time from the extraction to PAH identification is approximately 5 min per sample. Limits of detection are at the subparts per billion levels. The simplicity of the experimental procedure, the short analysis time, the selectivity, and the excellent analytical figures of merit demonstrate the advantages of this approach for routine analysis of water samples.

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