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The application of high‐performance liquid chromatography humic acid columns in determination of K oc of polycyclic aromatic compounds
Author(s) -
Jonassen Kristoffer E. N.,
Nielsen Torben,
Hansen Poul Erik
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620220410
Subject(s) - chemistry , high performance liquid chromatography , chromatography , humic acid , sorption , partition coefficient , organic chemistry , adsorption , fertilizer
An improvement of a method for determination of the distribution coefficient for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) between organic carbon and water ( K oc ) by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is presented in this paper. By use of silica‐based HPLC columns with chemically immobilized humic acid (Aldrich, Zigma‐Aldrich, Taufkirchen, Germany), the retention of PAC to humic acid can be measured, and the results can, when they are compared to those from a blank column, be used to a direct determination of K oc . These values agree quite well with literature K oc values for two‐ to four‐ringed PAC. Our work has shown that it is possible to use this method to investigate how environmental parameters like electrolyte concentration, pH, and temperature affect the sorption of PAC to humic acid. Thermodynamic parameters can be estimated from variable temperature experiments. The advantage of the method is its cost and manpower effectiveness.