A Low Cost TLC Method for the Detection of PAH in Solids under Field Conditions

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are widely occuring compounds with mutagenic and carcinogenic properties and belong to the mostly environmental contaminants besides the mineral oil hydrocarbons. The laboratory analysis of PAH is time consuming and expensive. Therefore the environmental analysis, e.g. the investigation of soil pollution is increasingly faced with the demand for faster and less expensive methods especially for on site investigations. Therefore in a co-operation project, sponsored by the Deutsche Stiftung Umwelt together with other participants it will be developed a low cost technique of the PAH determination in the field by using a modified method of thin layer chromatography (TLC), a so called field TLC (FTLC). Among the available chromatographic techniques TLC has the advantages of being comparatively simple, rapid, robust and inexpensive, allows high sample throughput and simultaneous processing of sample and standards.The first results of our investigations are presented.