Application of Headspace Liquid-Phase Microextraction to the Analysis of Volatile Halocarbons in Water

The determination of four volatile halocarbons (CHCl3, CCl4, C2HCl3 and C2Cl4) in water by headspace liquid-phase microextraction (HS-LPME) with gas chromatography using a micro electron capture detector (GC-μECD) is described. The effects of the type and volume of the extraction solvent, headspace volume, stirring rate, extraction temperature and time and ionic strength on the extraction performance are investigated and optimized. The developed protocol yields a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 0.05 to 50 µg L−1 for the target analytes; the detection limits ranged from 0.003 to 0.146 µg L−1 and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) values below 8.45%. The results demonstrate that HS-LPME followed with GC-μECD is a simple and reliable technique for the determination of volatile halocarbons in water samples.