Computerized gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples.

Substantial progress has been made in the last few years in the development of a rapid method for determining polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in environmental samples. The three-step method consists of (i) a preliminary separation of PAH by solvent and/or column chromatography, (ii) identification by a combination of gas chromatography with quadrupole mass spectrometry and computer, and (iii) measurement by computerized gas chromatography using internal standards. Samples of industrial effluents, coke oven emissions, coal tar and airborne particulates have been investigated. The efficiencies of different gas chromatographic columns were evaluated during these investigations.