Extraction of Gasoline from Soil Samples Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction and GC-MS

By: Tim Abell and Zach Bensley

Purpose

• To create a method to extract gasoline from soil samples.

Importance

• Test contamination of soil after an oil spill.• To see if clean up from an oil spill was

successful.

Procedure

• Sample Preparation (SFE):– Approximately 1.00 g of celite spiked with 0.50 mL

of gasoline.– 3 samples were prepared.

• Placed spiked sample in SFE column.• 50 mL of chloroform in beaker in an ice bath

to capture the extracted gasoline.• Extracted each sample for 30 minutes.

Procedure

• Sample Preparation (GC-MS):– Created Standard with 0.50 mL of gasoline

and 100 mL chloroform.– Each sample mixture was diluted to 100 mL with

chloroform.• Ran standard and 3 sample on GC-MS.

Data

• Standard

Data

• Celite Trial 1

Data

• Celite Trial 2

Data

• Celite Trial 3

Procedure

• Sample Preparation (SFE):– Obtained soil from outside.– Approximately 5.00 g of soil with 0.50 mL gasoline.– 3 samples were prepared.

• Placed spiked soil samples in SFE column.• Placed 50.0 mL chloroform in a beaker in an

ice bath.• Ran each sample for 30 minutes.

Procedure

• Sample Preparation (GC-MS):– Created Standard with 0.50 mL of gasoline

and 100 mL chloroform.– Each sample mixture was diluted to 100 mL with

chloroform.• Ran standard and 3 sample on GC-MS.

Data

• Soil Sample Trial 1

Data

• Soil Sample Trial 2

Data

• Soil Sample Trial 3

Error

• Making soil sample more fine.• Longer run time on SFE for soil samples.• Gasoline and chloroform mixture sat for 6

days.

Conclusion

• Gasoline can be extracted using SFE and condensed in chloroform.

• More work with the method of extraction with soil samples.

Future Work

• Test with different solvents.• Extract non-spiked soil samples.