Reversed Phase SPE and GC-MS Study of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water Samples from the River Buriganga, Bangladesh

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) categorized as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). PAHs are ubiquitous in terrestrial, atmospheric, and particularly aquatic environments throughout the world and have been detected in lakes, ground waters, and rivers. This research work involved the analysis of five PAHs, anthracene, fluorene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, in water sample collected from the river Buriganga, Bangladesh. The extraction of water samples was carried out by reversed phase solid-phase extraction (RP-SPE) technique with C-18 SPE cartridges. A solvent mixture of dichloromethane and hexane (1 : 2) with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min was used as eluent. Percentage recoveries of five PAHs for this technique were in the range of 81.47 ± 1.16 to 98.60 ± 0.61%. PAHs quantification was achieved by using an ion trap gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MS) interfaced to gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a fused silica capillary column. Helium was used as carrier gas with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The commonly detected PAH compounds in the river water were anthracene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene at the concentration ranges of 0.451 to 3.201, 0.033 to 3.1131, and 0.320 to 2.546 μg/mL, respectively. The results reflect that PAHs presented in this river water were mostly from petrogenic and pyrogenic sources.

Adsorption of Heavy Metal from Wastewater by Bioabsorbent Modified Azolla microphylla and Lemna minor

“…Initially, the bottle was dropped carefully into the water, and the cap was opened by hand. After filling with water, the bottle was capped, pulled up, and labeled before being placed in a cool place below 4 °C (Nawaz et al 2014). Extreme care was taken against contamination and loss of integrity of the sample constituents.…”

Sources, Occurrences, and Risks of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydro-Carbons (PAHs) in Bangladesh: A Review of Current Status

“…The primary sources of PAH pollution in Bangladesh are primarily from fossil fuel combustion and petroleum contamination [50,51] (Figure 4). In urban river areas, the major anthropogenic sources include urban runoff, industrial discharge, atmospheric deposition, and discharge from shipping activities [50,51] (Figure 4). However, in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, petroleum hydrocarbons are the primary source of PAH contamination [24].…”

Dissemination and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and sediment of Buriganga and Dhaleswari rivers of Dhaka, Bangladesh

“…Petrogenic PAHs are generated from fossil fuels, whereas pyrogenic PAHs are produced from the incomplete combustion of different waste materials during cooking and tobacco burning [ 5 , 6 ]. A further classification is based on their molecular weight related to their mischievous effect [ 7 ]. To a lesser extent, natural processes such as biomass burning and volcanic eruptions emit PAHs into the environment.…”