Spectrofluorimetric determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous effluents from generator columns

An on-stream, standards addition spectofluorimetric technique has been used to determine the concentrations of anthracene, benz(a)anthracene and benz(a)pyrene in the effluents of generator columns (which yield saturated solutions) at temperatures between 10 and 30/sup 0/C. Concentration values for the standard solutions of PAH's in water over this temperature range were as follows: anthracene, 9.9 x 10/sup -8/ to 34.4 x 10/sup -8/ mol/L; benz(a)anthracene, 1.5 x 10/sup -8/ to 5.7 x 10/sup -8/ mol/L; and benzo(a)pyrene, 2.4 x 10/sup -9/ to 8.9 x 10/sup -9/ mol/L. Confidence limits (99% Working-Hotelling) for the values at 25/sup 0/C were approximately 3-8% of the concentration. The method provides data that agree well with data from dynamic coupled column high-performance liquid chromatography and, together with these values, were used to certify the effluent PAH concentrations of the Standard Reference Material generator columns. The method can be used to determine PAH concentrations in aqueous effluents, aqueous solubilities, and octanol-water partition coefficients in a fast, easy procedure. 5 figures, 5 tables.