Abstract
Performing the sample preparation and extraction steps on-site or during sampling trips could minimize costs and labor for sample stabilization, storage, and transport, accelerate laboratory analytical procedures, and, for unstable or volatile analytes, provide more representative sampling. In this work, a headspace sorptive extraction method has been developed for determining volatile organic compounds in aqueous samples using a 3D-printed extraction device. Extraction parameters, including sample volume, extraction time, ionic strength of the sample and desorption time, were studied and optimized. The method performance was evaluated on a set of volatile organic compounds, including halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, volatile aromatic compounds, and a few of their halogenated derivatives. The results exhibited good linearity over the calibration range of 0.36–72 µg L-1, with limits of detection as low as 0.02 µg L-1. Intraday and interday precision were satisfactory, with RSD values below 18%. Accuracy was confirmed through recovery experiments in river water, yielding recoveries of 87–108%. Field-condition experiments demonstrated that the method remains robust outside the laboratory, provided that temperature is controlled; extractions performed at 22 °C in a vehicle yielded results comparable to those under laboratory conditions. The device was also shown to have no analyte leakage after several hours, and no water ingress was observed, even when it was exposed to motion-induced vibrations during vehicle operation. Overall, the developed headspace sorptive extraction approach offers a simple, inexpensive, low-solvent, and portable solution for monitoring of volatile organic compounds in environmental waters.