Solid residues generated by the petroleum industry are often classified as hazardous, in part due to the lack of adequate analytical methods for their characterization, given their gluey and highly viscous nature. In this study, an alternative to the method described by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) method 1311, replacing the zero headspace extraction (ZHE) approach with solid-phase microextraction followed by analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed, for the determination of aromatic chlorinated and non-chlorinated volatile organic compounds. The method was validated according to national and international regulations, with a working range of 2.00 to 90.00 µg L-1 and limit of detection varying from 0.12 to 0.41 µg L-1. Spiked matrices were analyzed and recovery values ranged from 79.7 to 98.4%. The analysis of real samples revealed levels below limit of quantification for chlorobenzene derivatives (2.00 µg L-1) and for the non-chlorinated aromatic compounds < 19.85 µg L-1, proving to be a viable alternative to overcome the difficulties encountered with filtration techniques.
Keywords:
chlorobenzene derivatives; leached extract; solid-phase microextraction; waste classification
