Determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in seawater using molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method of solid-phase extraction (SPE) using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as adsorbent coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was developed for the determination of 16 types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater samples. The MIPs were prepared through non-covalent polymerization by using the 16 PAHs mixture as a template based on sol–gel surface imprinting. Compared with the non-imprinted polymers (NIPs), the MIPs exhibited excellent affinity towards 16 PAHs with binding capacity of 111.0–195.0 μg g−1, and imprinting factor of 1.50–3.12. The significant binding specificity towards PAHs even in the presence of environmental parameters such as dissolved organic matter and various metal ions, suggested that this new imprinting material was capable of removing 93.2% PAHs in natural seawater. High sensitivity was attained, with the low limits of detection for 16 PAHs in natural seawater ranging from 5.2–12.6 ng L−1. The application of MIPs with high affinity and excellent stereo-selectivity toward PAHs in SPE might offer a more attractive alternative to conventional sorbents for extraction and abatement of PAH-contaminated seawater.