Comparison of supercritical fluid extraction and Soxhlet extraction for the determination of aliphatic hydrocarbons in seaweed samples

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2006-07, Vol.64 (3), p.400-405
• Main Authors: Punín Crespo, M.O., Lage Yusty, M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aliphatic hydrocarbons; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical Fractionation - methods; Chromatography, Gas - methods; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid - methods; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gas chromatography–flame ionization detector; General aspects; Hydrocarbons - analysis; Marine; Seaweed; Seaweed - chemistry; Soxhlet extraction; Supercritical fluid extraction; Undaria pinnatifida; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2005.04.010

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and Soxhlet extraction methods were compared in a study of the aliphatic hydrocarbon profiles of seaweed samples. Method precision for Soxhlet extraction (⩽7.58%) was slightly better than that for SFE (⩽9.28%) except for C 28. The SFE method is a good alternative for the routine determination of alkanes in seaweed samples; however, for a complete study of shorter-chain n-alkanes, the Soxhlet extraction is a more suitable method. To evaluate the SFE and Soxhlet methods developed, three diverse Undaria pinnatifida samples collected at different dates and areas of the Galician coast were analyzed. n-Alkanes C 18, C 20, C 22, C 24, and C 28 were found in all samples, with values lower than 7.9 μg g −1 d.w. The total hydrocarbon content was within the range of 13.6–21.7 μg g −1 d.w. C 18 was found to be the most abundant.