A method based on pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) was developed for measuring microplastics in environmental samples This method can address some limitations of the current microplastic methods and provide laboratories with a simple analytical method for quantifying common microplastics in a range of environmental samples The method was initially developed by recovering 101% to 111% of spiked plastics on glass beads and was then applied to a composted municipal waste sample with spike recoveries ranging from 85% to 94% The results from municipal waste samples and soil samples collected from an industrial area demonstrated that the method is a promising alternative for determining the concentration and identity of microplastics in environmental samples

A Procedure for Measuring Microplastics using Pressurized Fluid Extraction.

Current use of pressurised liquid extraction and subcritical water extraction in environmental analysis.

http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/12445/3/Use%20of%20compressed%20fluids.pdf

Use of compressed fluids for sample preparation: food applications.

This review updates our knowledge on pressurised liquid extraction, PLE (also known as accelerated solvent extraction and pressurised fluid extraction) of persistent organic pollutants such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls from environmental matrices. The basic experimental set-up is presented, and parameters influencing the extraction process are discussed. PLE can be used for a broad range of applications, and clearly has the potential for replacing tedious classic extraction methods such as Soxhlet extraction.

Pressurised liquid extraction of persistent organic pollutants in environmental analysis

Supercritical fluids in separation science--the dreams, the reality and the future.

Irganox 1010 (pentaerythritol tetrakis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)] propionate) is successfully extracted from polypropylene using solvents at high temperatures and pressures in a homemade accelerated solvent extraction system. For example, using freeze-ground polymer, 90% extraction is possible within 5 min with 2-propanol at 150 °C. Extraction curves for 2-propanol and acetone fit well to the “hot ball” model, previously developed for supercritical fluid extraction. Diffusion coefficients are determined for extractions with 2-propanol, acetone, and cyclohexane over a range of temperatures, and the activation energies for the diffusion are 134, 107, and 61 kJ mol-1, respectively. The lower figure for acetone and cyclohexane indicates that these solvents swell the polymer more than does 2-propanol. The polymer dissolves in the solvent at too high a temperature, which causes blockage of the transfer lines. For maximum extraction rates, the highest temperature for each solvent that avoids dissolut...

Shuang A. Zhu

Papers

Factors affecting high-pressure solvent extraction (accelerated solvent extraction) of additives from polymers.