Comparison of dioxin/furan extraction efficiency using accelerated solvent extraction and Soxhlet methods in soil and sediment samples

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficiency of extracting dioxins/furans from soil and sediment samples using two methods: Soxhlet extraction and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Analysis of certified soil samples showed that both extraction methods provided comparable performance, with deviations falling within the manufacturer’s acceptable range. The deviation in results when extracting certified reference material (CRM) soil samples with the two methods ranged between -14.5% and 11.7%. Further analysis of soil and sediment samples yielded deviations as follows: soil samples: -6.3% to 13.6%, sediment samples: -15.8% to 18.6%. In inter-laboratory tests, the ASE method yielded concentrations with Z-score between -2 to 2 for 16 out of 17 toxic congeners, with the exception of octa chloro dibenzo furan (OCDF), which fell within the range of 2 to 3. For sediment samples, all 17 congeners had Z-score within the range of -2 to 2. Both Soxhlet and ASE demonstrated equivalent extraction efficiency. However, ASE offers advantages by requiring less solvent, energy, and time compared to Soxhlet extraction.