4. Conclusion
In this study, the HS-SPME method for the extraction and GC–FID
for the final determination of the products of the petroleum industry
were developed. Extraction conditions were optimized to 45 min,
2 mL aqueous sample, 10% (w/v) of sodium chloride salt, the highest
possible stirring rate and room temperature. Under the optimized
conditions, the LODs were in the range from 2.0 μg L−1 (eicosane)
to 12.5 μg L−1 (pentadecane). The developed analytical method was
successfully applied to the analysis of water contaminated with unleaded
petrol and unfiltered water used to extinguish a simulated
fire. The results show that the selectivity of developed methodology
is sufficient to analyze samples of very complex matrices. Pyrolysis
products from differing materials did not affect the results. Therefore,
the HS-SPME can be an effective tool for the sampling of products of
the petroleum industry. The developed analytical method here is simpler,
lower cost and less labor intensive, than conventional techniques
such as LLE and ACS for the simultaneous determination of
hydrocarbon analytes by GC. The lack of solvents and ability to use
the injection port of a gas chromatograph for thermal desorption
makes SPME an ideal sampling device. Additionally, headspace sampling
eliminates interference from the complex sample matrix and
has potential for field analysis, making it even more attractive for
use in routine testing.