DRO by headspace in soil

[danicrd]

Has anyone tried to analyze Diesel range organic by headspace?
I'd like to setup a rapid screening method for soil to determine
btx&mtbe
gro
dro

Is in your opinion possible with single run?

[Spuzzin]

Headspace analysis of soils begins to fail at C10 and in my experience is useless past C12 even as a screen. I don't think you will be able to combine GRO and DRO into a single analysis.

Rich

[Peter Apps]

A lot depends on the concentrations that you need to get down to - all else being equal, the higher the molecular weight the higher the minimum concentration.

Peter

[krickos]

Hi

Hmm try googling SPME and dodecane or so. Seem to recall a SPME headspace trial with about a 20min extraction of C10-20s from water samples.

[zokitano]

I agree with Krickos about the headspace SPME analysis of your analytes. If you're trying to analyze those compounds in low ppm and ppb range, HS-SPME can give you higher preconcentration (enrichment) factors and lower LODs and LOQs, compared to the classic static headspace analysis.
If you're familiar with SPME or any of your colleagues is (who can help you with SPME), you could consider SPME as your another alternative for your goal.

[AICMM]

danicrd,

It is not headspace but have you considered Texas 1005 method. They use pentane extraction and get down to part of gasoline constituents, certainly down to benzene. It is hard to do in my part of the country because of the added altitude but you might have more luck.

Best regards.

[Spuzzin]

Came across this thread while searching for other information and thought I would add a little something.

Markes International now has a method for doing DRO from soils by combining headspace and thermal desorbtion. Its one of my future projects so I'll try and post an opinion when the project gets started.

Rich

[Omaejel]

I have used the TX1005 method and it works quite well for screening purposes.

I am trying to get the headspace system that EST offers in my lab for some testing to see if we can do BTEXM/GRO by headspace.

I would imagine it wouldn't work all that well for DRO, but you said you are just using it as a rapid screening technique so as long as you don't want to see down to very low concentrations it will probably screen reasonably well for the lighter DRO compounds. I would guess that many of the heavier constituents are not going to come out of the soil when this method is used.