Preconcentration and determination of naphthalene in air and water using activated carbon adsorption,carbon disulfide extraction and gas chromatography

A new method for the determination of naphthalene in air and water has been developed. The naphthalene was preconcentrated using activated carbon adsorption with carbon disulfide extraction and determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The chromatographic peak of naphthalene was separated well from the potential interferents turpentine, terpenene, isoborneol, camphor and isobornyl acetate. The detection limit was 0.52 g/ml of CS₂, equivalent to 2.6 g/m³ of air or 0.05 g/ml in 50 ml of water. The precision for 10 g/ml naphthalene was 1.7%. The adsorption capacity, sampling efficiency and desorption efficiency of 100 mg of activated carbon for naphthalene in air were 8.8 mg, 98.8% and 95.2%, respectively. The extraction efficiency of 5 ml of carbon disulfide for naphthalene in water was 97.6%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of naphthalene in air and water from an industrial plant.